PROLOGUE: DRAGONBALL Z The Firebird Arc COMPLETE
by noctorro
Summary: The Firebird was an enemy with a hunger for power. Son Goken was the child of Goku and Chichi who inherited neither of his parents traits. Combined, they had the power to annihilate the universe, forcing Gohan to choose between his brother or the Earth.
1. Introduction: A Life Forgotten

"After the tournament of Cell, before the terror Majin Buu imposed upon the world, I was alive, however… the presence of the Firebird had changed all that. As a creation of the Legendary Eight Star Dragon Ball, The Firebird's fate was that of strength, justice and purity. But somehow, it's twisted nature severed all ties it had to it's pre-determined fate and instead, the Firebird went on a hunt to curb his never ending hunger for power. 

His attempts to merge with the 'most powerful being ever created' nearly destroyed the Z Soldiers, but succeeded in permanently shattering my family. It ruined my mother, Chichi, to the point that everyone refrained from talking about it, for her sake. As a result, my life, what was meant to be earth's last defense against destruction, was cut short by the Firebird. And to prevent any further emotional distress, my life, my name, was forgotten. Now, I hope, the story can be told and my life struggle wouldn't have been in vain. This is my story, the story of a forgotten Z Soldier."

- Son Goken


	2. Prologue: Birth of a Miracle

_Breathe in, breathe out … come on girl, I know you can do it._ The moment Chichi opened her dark eyes, light came pouring in, temporarily blinding her. She tried making out the white dressed, smudged humanoid figured standing around her, but the throbbing in her head and the aching behind her eyes thwarted all her efforts, as she dropped her head back down, welcoming the feeling as it came into contact with a soft pillow. 

She felt a warm hand caress her sweaty forehead, brushing away clumps of black hair from her face. "You're gonna be okay, mom," a young but slowly maturing voice said softly. Chichi's pale lips curled slightly into a smile upon realizing that her son was there with her. Again, she opened her eyes and this time, they focused on him. His youthful face was twisted into a frown of concern, dark sleepy eyes just like his mother's, were filling slowly with tears, his jet black spikey hair lying matted messily on his head. 

"What happened to me, Gohan?" Chichi asked. 

"You don't remember at all?" her son asked. She shook her head, wincing as she felt the dying pain come back to life again inside. "I found you lying on the floor in the middle of the night in the bathroom in your own blood, mom. So I took you here and they've been taking care of you." 

A short and pudgy middle aged nurse took Gohan's hand and patted it with the other reassuringly and said softly, "Your mother will be fine, dear. But if you don't mind, there are some questions I'm going to need to ask her." 

He acknowledged the nurse's polite request and stepped aside for her. The nurse took his place alongside Chichi's bed and began stroking her face affectionately, hoping to make her feel comfortable. Chichi wasn't aware of the nurse's intentions but she was feeling the effects. It had been awhile since she'd felt this comforted in a desperate situation. 

"Now Chichi, dear," she began, "what was the last thing you remember before passing out?" 

Chichi thought hard for a moment, staring off into space despite her state, trying to come up with an answer. "I remember walking to the bathroom to dry my hair. I'd just taken a shower. I reached over for a towel, but then felt something nauseous in my stomach." She paused, trying to recall the events after that. "I … I think … I remember I sat on the toilet for a second, waiting for the feeling to pass and then … I'm sorry, that's all I remember." The nurse scribbled some notes on a pad she took out from the breast pocket of her uniform. 

She then looked up through her glasses for a moment at Chichi and asked, "So how long have you been expecting this baby?" 

"It should be due anytime now," she replied. "I've had it for around eight and a half months." 

"This baby is hurting you," a tall dark man said, interrupting the conversation. He walked towards the bed, motioning for the nurse to step aside. He held a clipboard in his giant, hairy hands and sat down on the stool to face Chichi, forcing a soft breeze to blow at her face as he sat. His motions were dynamic, like the movement of what any man in power should have. "Excuse me, nurse." 

The nurse made room for the doctor, who judging by the glasses and the white overcoat, Chichi could tell he knew what he was doing. It was a shallow conclusion, but it comforted her nonetheless. 

"The fact that the fetus is causing you to black out isn't something natural. The only thing you should be feeling is your water breaking." Her eyes widened in fear as she reached for Gohan's hand, and in response, he took it and gave her a reassuring squeeze. 

"What do you mean, doctor?" he asked. "Is my mom gonna be okay?" 

"At this point, we don't even know," he said running his fingers through his short brown hair. He sighed outwardly, releasing the stress, unsure of how he would tell the boy. 

"We need to give her an X-ray to check out what's going on inside her. I've already arranged an appointment. We are to proceed to level 1 in the west wing in half an hour. That's where the tests will be held and we'll find out what's wrong." The doctor got up silently and after giving Gohan a sympathetic look, patted him on the shoulder and walked out of the room. 

The pudgy middle aged nurse put her hand on his arm and said, "Come on honey, let's get to the waiting room. I need to prepare your mother for the X-ray, ok?" 

                                                                *              *              *

 Gohan hated the smell of hospitals. The combination of floor cleaners, latex gloves and medicine produced an artificial smell that made his head throb. Sitting on a cold, black plastic seat alongside the hallway, he was hunched over, his hands covering his eyes. He would feel the occasional breeze of bodies walking by briskly, in a rush to go save another dying life. 

"One of those people could be mom," he said silently to himself. The thought suddenly occurred to him, making him tremble and break out into cold sweat. What if Chichi died giving birth to the baby? That would mean he had to take care of it himself, a responsibility a 9-year-old boy was not ready to take. Gohan clasped his hands tightly together in prayer, hoping someone out where would help him in his plight. 

"Gohan, we're finished the tests," a man's voice said. When Gohan looked up, he recognized the doctor from the observatory room just awhile back. "If you could please come with me." 

He was led to an office where a number of potted plants contrasted the blinding whiteness of the walls. Over on the far end of the office, behind a giant oak desk with a computer to the side, various plaques and degrees adorned the wall. "Have a seat," he said to Gohan, motioning to a giant, leather swivel chair. 

After the boy got comfortable, the doctor took out some X-ray pictures from an envelope lying on his desk. Gohan's first impressions were that it looked exactly like the kind they show on TV, with all the doctors running around, holding them in their hands. 

"The baby seems to be growing healthily," the doctor explained, "but it also seems to be affecting your mother mysteriously. We did some checkups on her and physically, she's fine. Her body just seems to be rejecting the baby for some reason, most likely because it's ready to come out of the womb. So she's getting a caesarian right now. But don't worry about a thing. They will both be just fine." 

                                                                *              *              *

A few hours had passed by the time it was okay for Gohan to see his mother. The nurses took him to her room on the third floor to her room where he saw her lying peacefully in a giant tangle of sheets, looking as pampered as ever. However, despite her pale face covered in a thin layer of sweat, and her wispy hair falling whichever way over her shoulders, she had the most peaceful look, smiling contentedly. It was then that Gohan saw the baby in her arms, fast asleep. Chichi was rocking it back and forth, humming an elated tune. "Mom?" Gohan asked upon seeing her. "Is everything okay?" Chichi took her eyes away from the baby and looked at her young son and smiled. "I'm just fine, honey. Come over here and see your baby brother." Gohan walked over to the baby shyly, seeing its round face and half-closed eyes. Its tiny, chubby pink hands, no bigger than Gohan's own palm, open and closed with its steady breathing. Gohan took his index finger and put it into the child's hand, smiling as its small hand wrapped around his finger, much bigger than its whole hand. "What's his name, mom?" he asked. "I think I'll call him … Goken," she replied.  
  


        *              *              * 

Outside the room in the hall, the pudgy middle aged nurse scratched her head nervously, ignoring the hordes of co-workers and patients alike who walked briskly past her. 

"I don't know if this is such a good idea, doctor," she said. She looked at the doctor with wide eyes, the guilt inside of her eating away at her heart. "I'm not sure if I'm actually capable of keeping a detail like this from the mother. Isn't this illegal? Don't we have to tell the mother?" 

"Look, what happened in that X-ray room is confidential," the doctor said. "We don't know how it affected the baby or the mother, but as long as they are both physically healthy, then we've done out part." 

"For god sakes, doctor, no fetus glows like a light bulb when in a mother's womb! The light coming from it nearly blinded us all! Aren't we even going to look into it??" She was beginning to get restless now, pacing back and forth with small, rapid steps. She put a well manicured finger in her mouth and began chewing nervously on her nail. 

"Of course we will," the doctor replied, "But imagine what the mother would feel knowing her baby let off some kind of beam of light. It would crush her, thinking her baby was some kind of freak. We can't say anything until we've determined what exactly we're dealing with. We're going to have to pay special medical attention to this family just to make sure the baby grows up fine." 

The doctor's words were not enough to soothe the nerves of the nurse. She wrapped her arms around herself simultaneously holding her head with a white knuckled grip and shaking her head. 

"Oh god … if anything happens to this family because of this, I'll never forgive myself …"


	3. Chapter 1: Firebird Cometh

_Six years later…_

Had a hiker been trekking through the woods that day, it would have seemed to him the perfect day. A calm sense of serenity filled the scene – the remnants of a strong wind blowing from the east, broken up by the towering evergreen trees into a gentle breeze while up high in their branches, birds sang their morning chorus as if powered by the fresh sun rays themselves. A stream flowed calmly nearby, the sound water trickling over large stones while fish swam with and against the gentle current, producing the occasional splash.

The serenity was broken by a loud cry piercing through the air, startling the birds, stopping the stream, killing the breeze.

"Gggraaahhh!!" The young boy screamed, feeling his throat clog up as he strained his vocal cords nearly tear. He squeezed his soft hands tightly into fists of steel, his knuckles protruding from underneath the pale skin. He collapsed into an exhausted heap upon the wild grass, bruising his knees in the process, but his body was in no shape to feel the pain. He gasped for breath as he lay there, trying in vain to ignore the fatigue that engulfed him, the stinging droplets of sweat flowing their way into his eyes, the damp locks of jet black hair clinging to the back of his neck and forehead. His chest heaved up and down for oxygen that felt as if it would never come.

A few feet away, Son Gohan sat hunched, resting his chin on his fist. His narrowed eyes and slight frown depicted not an expression of anger, but one of confusion. He looked at the exhausted form of his brother, Son Goken, folded in on itself lying on the ground between the stalks of wild grass, wondering why he hadn't seen the change yet. Gohan's eyes pierced little Goken's body, paying close attention to his physical attributes.

Small framed with the top of his head up to Gohan's own waist, a mop of straight black hair; the child was no different than any other six year old.

That was the problem. As the child of a great Saiyan warrior, he was no ordinary child. By this point, he should have learned to levitate at the very least, get a taste of the kind of power he had supposedly inherited from their father. Yet …

Goken's weak, tired arms trembled under the weight of his upper body as picked himself off the ground with visible effort. His hair fell in front of his face, obscuring his expression from view.

"The second son of every Saiyan warrior bears an uncanny resemblance to their father," Gohan recited to himself. Their father, the second son among his siblings, was a spitting image of their grandfather and his father before him. It seemed that Goken had put a stop to that trait. Gohan was no genetic scientist, but this rubbed him the wrong way.

After running his hands through his short black hair in frustration, he stood up and walked over to Goken, who didn't seem to take notice until Gohan's broad, muscular form cast a shadow over him. Gohan offered a hand which Goken accepted and pulled his brother off the ground.

"I don't get it," the boy said, brushing off the dirt off his small, skinny shoulders. "You can do it. You can change. I can't."

And by change, Gohan was well aware, he meant a physical change; one that allowed anyone of Saiyan blood to achieve a higher power level, causing their hair to take on a golden hue, their eyes into an emerald green, and an electric aura to engulf their entire bodies. Gohan was as perplexed as Goken was, yet fearing that he might appear unsure of himself, decided to ignore the question.

"There's gotta be something you're doing wrong," he said.

"I hate this," Goken replied, "why do I even have to learn how to do this?"

"Because the world will come to depend on it one day. We'll do some more training tomorrow, but for now, let's go home."

Gohan began heading toward the trees from the clearing where they trained, where the trail that would take them home lay. He expected Goken to be tagging along behind him, but turned around when he heard no footsteps.

Goken was still standing at the spot where he had collapsed minutes ago. He hadn't budged.

"Gohan," the boy began, "I don't want to do this anymore." His heart pounded in his chest, fearful of what his brother's response would be. For a week now, he had been taken into the middle of this secluded forest and forced to go through grueling strength and endurance training. Never had he thought of questioning his brother's intentions, but now, they were taking a toll on him and he wanted answers, but more importantly, he wanted to stop.

Gohan froze for a second, saying nothing. An uncomfortable silence hung over their heads for that moment. "What did you say?"

"I… I said I wanted to stop," Goken stammered nervously.

"You can't." The answer was sharp, delivered without missing a beat. He turned back around and continued walking.

"But why?" Goken pressed. "Why are you making me do this? This is stupid, and there's no point!"

Again, Gohan stopped in his tracks, this time, lunging forward and seizing his brother by the arm. "Because you will need it to protect the citizens of earth, just like Dad did before us! Do you have any idea what kind of family you come from?"

"Yeah, I do," came the reply, "But we're living in a time of peace. We don't need to continue fighting."

"I highly doubt this time of peace will last a long time," Gohan replied. "We have to prepare for anything that might happen. Don't you understand?"

Saying nothing, Goken continued to glare angrily back.

"Fine, just think whatever you want," Gohan said, "but whether you like it or not, you're coming back here tomorrow."

**XXXXX**

The darkness was all-encompassing. Floating there in a black oblivion, the Firebird saw everything, felt everything. The energy sources of the universe danced across his skin in a wide variety of heat and pressure. The Firebird existed in this black oblivion, carefully analyzing each and every sensation of the universe's energies flowing across it, looking for the one he sought with eternal patience. In fact, he did have all eternity. He had been doing this since time began, and would continue to do it until the end of time.

Every planet had its guardian, its own Devotee. And it was this Devotee's duty to die for their planet. And with a rare gem of a planet like Earth, its guardian had to be powerful beyond all measure to protect it. This wasn't just a conclusion that the Firebird had come to, no. It was prophesized by the spirit of the Eight Star Dragon Ball itself, the very being that had spawned the Firebird, the very being that would also spawn Earth's Devotee.

Somewhere within the Firebird powerful being, there was a hollow that needed to be filled. A hunger so great not even the collective power from the stars, planets, even galaxies could satisfy him.

The Firebird's first guess was that the Devotee had to have been a Saiyan Warrior, however they were a nearly extinct race. He had heard stories about a certain Son Goku, who had defeated many enemies who threatened the safety of Earth.

Upon discovering that Goku was dead, and that he had not been a child of the Eight Star Dragon Ball, the Firebird continued his search, feeling certain his target was out there somewhere. As a child of the Eight Star Dragon Ball himself, he had a connection to this Devotee. Following the link, the Firebird hoped to it would lead him to his target.

Because of his connection to the Eight Star Dragon Ball, the Firebird also had a pre-determined fate of purity, strength and justice. However, purity and justice didn't appeal to the likes of him and as a result, he was cast out of the Heavens by the Gods and forced to live the rest of his spiritual existence in oblivion. But after finding the Devotee, he would change all that, and the power of both the Heavens and the universe would be his to command.

The thought fueled him further to continue his search for the Devotee. Once he was found, he would be rescued from this eternal oblivion and freed upon the Earth to wreak whatever havoc he desired. It wasn't that the Firebird felt any animosity toward the planet. He found the sheer variety of life that called the planet home was overwhelming. It most certainly was a diamond among the planets.

But through Earth's destruction, the Firebird could achieve something greater – fear from the Higher Gods, who believed that casting him from the heavens would render him weak, leaving him to shrivel up, letting the energy that he was made up of burn itself out of existence. He couldn't wait to see the look on their faces when they found out that he'd not only destroyed Earth, but harnessed the powers of its Devotee.

And the day he was waiting for finally came. It came in the form of a powerful energy source piercing the Firebird's sensors to the point where it had physically hurt, catching him off guard at first. This was the first time he'd felt something so powerful, so intense, that it had to be what he was looking for. He scanned the Earth for the most likely source of the energy and found it in a second, housed within the unlikeliest humans – a young child nowhere near its teenage years. At such a young age, this energy hadn't been put to use and seemed to lie dormant within the body that held it except for that moment when the Firebird had felt it. The energy surge had last a second at best and had retreated back into its body but had allowed the Firebird to feel everything it was. And everything it was, he knew, would be far too much for him to absorb in one sitting. All that power lying dormant in that tiny little body and ripe for the picking. This seemed far too easy …

"You're coming here tomorrow, I don't care if you don't want to!" a human teenager screamed. It seemed the child wasn't alone. That teenager … a guardian, perhaps?

No matter, the Firebird felt the link between him and the Devotee child grow immeasurably. This was it! He had found him! "Perhaps it would be best for me to confront this child," he said to himself.

The Firebird was a being made up completely of energy. And as such, the energy from the boy could severely damage him. But in physical form, there was a change that flesh could serve as a kind of shield.

Shattering the barrier between his energy and physical form, the Firebird descended to the earth within a ball of flame, ready to seize the prize he had kept his eyes on for all these years.


	4. Chapter 2: Possession

Frowning at the aching in her arm, Chichi continued to stir the batter into a fine paste with one hand on the stir stick, and the other gradually adding flour making the solution thicker. Her children would be back soon from training and through the tough exercises she assumed they must have gone through, she knew they would enjoy a batch of home made chocolate chip cookies. 

"Ouch," she felt something kick inside her abdomen. A smile crept across her face and putting a batter encrusted hand on her stomach, she said, "Goodness, Goten. Calm down, you'll be out of there in a few months."

The thought of a family made her happy, and as soon as Goten was born, she would have the family she always wanted. "Except Goku isn't here to see it," she thought silently as the smile faded from her lips. 

Pushing the unpleasant thought from her mind, she tucked a wisp of black hair behind her ear and continued stirring. Goku's death had broken her heart, leaving Chichi alone to raise Gohan and Goken by herself. He had been a fine Saiyan warrior, standing up and fighting for what he believed in and protecting his loved ones. After all the physical and emotional torment he'd gone through in his life, the least he deserved was a chance at seeing his wife and family. But Cell had taken that away. 

Chichi cursed under her breath at the mere thought of Cell. Even six years after that creature's death, she could not let go of what he had done to her family. She cursed him for her family's pain, but also cursed Goku for her emotional pain. After all, he didn't have to go out there and fight Cell. The authorities and the military could've easily stopped him, right? Why did Goku have to die?

Chichi slapped herself mentally for thinking such a selfish thought. "Goku was the only one who could stop him," she thought, her heart giving into her mind. 

Her train of thought was interrupted upon hearing the front door of the house open. "Mom, we're home!" Gohan called into the house, his voice echoing against the large dome shaped inner walls. 

She wiped her hands on her apron and wrapped a shawl around her slender shoulders. Walking out into the living room, Chichi welcomed the boys home with a warm hug. "I'm got some cookies ready for the oven," she said to Goken, "Get yourself cleaned up and come down in ten minutes. Dinner will be out."

He obediently ran up the stairs to get changed. "I'll help with the table," Gohan offered. 

"Thanks," Chichi said, accepting the help. "I've been slaving away in the kitchen all evening, I could use a little help. How's Gokens training coming along?"

Gohan shook his head. "Physically, he's got what it takes, the fighting skills I mean. But he can't transform."

"You mean into his Saiyan form?" Chichi asked. 

"Yeah," Gohan replied. "I get him to try over and over again, but I don't see anything, not even a hint of his Saiyan form." Chichi nodded grimly, taking in what she'd just been told. Gohan continued. "To make things worse, he's getting frustrated with me. Just told me today he doesn't want to do this anymore."

"But he has to," Chichi said. "What if another enemy comes to earth? That means you'd have to…" she stopped. The thought of her family running of into another potentially fatal battle made her feel nauseous. In a way, she wanted to side with Goken but her mind advised her against it. She knew better. 

Opening white painted wooden closet doors quickly, a wall of crumpled clothes fell onto Goken, burying him in their stale, smelly stench. He pawed through the mess casually, looking for a decent shirt to wear. He grabbed a black T-shirt with a white strip across the chest and threw it over his head. His wet hair, fresh from the shower, dampened the collar, sending a shiver down his spine as it touched his neck.

Tripping over clothes that got caught between his feet, Goken stumbled across the room to the wooden dresser, clammoring over heaps of junk for a comb. His hand wrapped around the familiar plastic handle and pulled it out from under a pile of papers, empty hairspray bottles, and forks.

"How'd that fork get in here?" he wondered. Shrugging mentally, he stared into the mirror, preparing himself for the agonizing task of combing hair that had just came from the shower. 

Even from his peripheral vision, the reflection in the mirror didn't quite seem right. Goken looked directly into it again and nearly jumped back in horror when an unfamiliar face stared right back at him. The face wasn't even human, more like humanoid, staring with sunken eyes covered with shadow. In fact, the entire face was mostly covered in shadow, just a hint of a nose and the lower lip were bathed in some kind of immaculate red light. 

Goken let out a small cry and stumbled backwards, landing on his elbows, making him want to cry out in pain. But the image in the mirror kept him silent in fear. 

"Your terror excites me, child" the reflection said with a cold, raspy voice. "But fear not, for I am your savior."

What was this thing talking about? Goken swallowed a huge lump in his throat and remained on the floor for a moment, trying to think of what to say to the intruder. "Who… who are you?" he stammered. "What do you want from me?"

"I feel your pain," it replied, "the pain of your useless training. After all, why bother to train someone as a Saiyan when he isn't even one, right?"

"But I am a Saiyan," Goken said. "My father was one before me, as was my grandfather. Gohan is just trying to bring out that potential in me."

"You are not," the reflection replied. "You are not a Saiyan, but intead, you are something far greater. You are the Devotee, the one to protect the universe from all that is evil."

"The Devotee?" Goken asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Allow me to show you your true power," the reflection said. Goken nodded slowly, wondering what the creature was going to do. It came out of the mirror, surrounded by glowing waves of energy. Whatever it was, it was huge, walking over to him. When the creature finally reached him, it didn't slow down. Instead, it continued towards him until it entered his body. Goken could feel it's energy mixing with his, making him feel more powerful. That was the last thing he remembered before the entire world blacked out before him. 

"Too easy," the Firebird said. He raised his hands towards his face, flexing his fingers and observed their movements. "Interesting." He smiled in ecstasy. Finally, after all those years of searching, he had the body of the Devotee in his possession. His energy coursed through the Devotee's veins, slowly absorbing his body into a part of the Firebird himself. Now that they were one, the Firebird could harness his power and unleash his reign of terror over the universe.


	5. Chapter 3: A Taste of Power

"What's taking that boy so long to get down here?" Chichi asked. Across from the table, Gohan looked up from his bowl of rice and pulled the tips of his chopsticks out from his mouth. 

"I don't know," he replied, "I'll go get him." Gohan walked over to the bottom of the staircase and yelled into the dark upper hallway. "Goken, come down now! The food's getting cold!" He turned around and was going to return to the kitchen when he felt a cold chill go down his spine. Gohan took a quick look at the hallway upstairs and noticed it was unusually dark and creepy, like something out of a horror flick. The darkness just seemed to leak bad vibes… Shaking the feeling from his mind, he returned to the kitchen to continue his meal. _Strange, _he thought, _I didn't hear a reply from Goken either. Did he hear me?_

"Is something wrong?" Chichi asked. 

"Oh," Gohan said out of surprise. _Was I that obvious?_ he wondered. "Uh… it's nothing, really. Just thinking about stuff."

Chichi nodded suspiciously. "Try some of the fish," she said, changing the subject, "I tried baking it with breadcrumbs today."

"I'm just after those cookies I smelled when we came in," Gohan replied. 

"So am I," said a third, unfamiliar voice. The shock caused Gohan and Chichi to nearly jump out of their seats in shock.

"Goodness, Goken," Chichi said, clutching her chest, "must you sneak up us so quietly?" She looked into her sons eyes, which were blank and emotionless, slightly disturbing her. 

"I'm sorry," Goken apologized with a fake sincerity. He approached the table and grabbed a seat and began eating from his bowl of rice. 

"Well it's good to see you're hungry," Chichi began. She stopped suddenly when she started hearing a soft growl coming from Goken. Gohan had noticed it too and they began to stare strangely at the boy who ate as if he were some kind of a dog, splashing bits of food onto the mat. 

Gohan felt the skin on his arms break out into goosebumps and the hair on his neck began to rise on end. The energy Goken was giving off was unfamiliar and downright scary. Chichi looked at him with fearful eyes, as if telling him to do something about it. But Gohan didn't even know where to start. 

Without warning, Goken slammed the empty bowl down onto the table with a loud bang, causing Chichi and Gohan to jump in shock for a second time. Brushing a forearm across his mouth in a singular, swiping motion, he said, "That was good. You're a good cook, mom." Knocking the wooden chair over as he stood up quickly, Goken walked hastily out of the dining room.

Gohan and Chichi looked at each other, one as confused as the other, not even knowing how to comment on the situation. 

"I'll… get this mess cleaned up," Chichi said, finding the right words. "Maybe you should go see what's wrong with him."

"Yeah, I'm gonna do just that," Gohan replied, getting up angrily. "I'm gonna teach that kid a thing or two about table manners." 

The Firebird lay contentedly on Goken's bed, with his arms folded across his chest, his face gazing blankly at the white ceiling. He opened his mouth and let out another loud belch that filled the small space of the cluttered room. 

__

The woman really can cook, he thought silently to himself. His thoughts shifted towards his plan to devour the body of the Devotee. _The absorption process is already underway. I just have to wait long enough until I can tap into the powers of this child and –_

"Goken, mind telling me what all that commotion was about downstairs?!" said the voice of a large, threatening teenager. 

__

Ugh, it's the Devotee's brother. Shit, what was his name again? "Oh! Gohan, it's you!" the Firebird squeaked. His eyes darted back and forth across the room as he searched desperately for something to say. "I was just hungry, that's all." The Firebird had to avoid any physical fighting. The Devotee was hardly half the size of his older brother and if any physical violence were to occur this early in the absorption process, the Firebird wouldn't have had absorbed enough of the Devotee's potential energy to put up a decent fight.

"What the hell was up with you?" Gohan asked in a booming voice. "Not only were you rude, but you gave mom extra work by messing the place up! Are you still mad at me for making you train?"

Away from all the physical and mental stress that plagued his life, Goken's consciousness floated peacefully in a corner of his mind. His body was no longer under his control, a feeling that disturbed him when the Firebird first entered his body. 

In the beginning, he fought the creature, trying to push him out. However Goken realized the more he resisted, the more he would hurt. Upon accepting the fact that the Firebird was here to stay, his consciousness retreated into the depths of his mind and remained there, experiencing all the Firebird did, feeling all his emotions, but not having to do anything about it. 

Goken now felt at peace, feeling his body slowly combine with the Firebird's energy, forming something completely out of this world. He felt more powerful, and with every passing word from Gohan, he also felt angrier. 

"Is this how your brother treats you?" asked the Firebird's voice. Goken nodded. It was true after all. As children, he had gotten along considerably well with his brother. It was only during Gohan's teen years that he began putting Goken through vigorous training, failing to provide a valid reason for the need of the exercises. The absence of their father forced Gohan to take on the role of a father, something he wasn't prepared for, and Goken was the one who had to suffer the consequences. 

"I hate him," Goken replied. His own words shocked him, words that represented a thought that he never remembered crossing his mind. They felt like the emotions of someone else…

"And you have reason to," the Firebird said. "After all, he believes you are a Saiyan and is therefore putting you through all this training."

"But I _am_ a Saiyan," Goken began to retort. 

"If you were, then you'd have learned to transform long ago." The Firebird's reply was cold and confident. "You are not. You are the Devotee."

"What the hell is the Devotee?"

"A child born to save the universe from all that is evil," he explained, "formed from the powers of the Eight Star Dragon Ball. You are the only child of the Eight Star Dragon Ball to be born with a human body, making you one of the most powerful beings ever created. However, although I too am a child of the Dragon Ball, I do not have a mortal body. Together, we will combine our powers to rid the universe of evil."

"I don't feel so powerful," Goken said. 

"That's because your powers have not yet fully developed. In time, I will give you the ability to unleash them." 

The thought of such power made Goken want to salivate. What if the Firebird was saying was actually true? He shook his head, unable to comprehend it. How was it possible that he wasn't a Saiyan when his father was? How was it he was the most powerful being ever created when he didn't even feel powerful? Was there really an Eight Star Dragon Ball? Too many questions plagued his mind at the moment. He would find time to answer them later. For now, the likes of Gohan had to be dealt with – 

A violent thought flashed across his mind, catching him off guard. _What am I thinking? _Goken wondered. _Do I really feel that bitter towards Gohan? _

"AHH!!" Gohan screamed as an unseen force picked him up effortlessly off the ground. The Firebird stood in front of him, housed in Goken's body, his eyes glowing like some kind of unearthly demon. 

"Leave me be!" Goken said in a harsh, demonic voice. Gohan didn't believe for a second that it was his brother. 

"Who are you?" he managed to say from the invisible force that had him by his neck. 

Ignoring his question, the Firebird replied, "Are you foolish enough to not see the kind of power your brother has? Ha ha, obviously not! And now, I will show you…"

"What the hell are you doing?" from the subconscious of his mind, Goken shouted out. "Let him go now!" 

"This is the only way he'll learn," Firebird said to him, hoping it would curb his caring tendency. 

"I don't like it," Goken said, "drop him now. There's always another way to teach him a lesson."

"If you say so," the Firebird replied. Goken watched helplessly as Gohan was thrown with a tremendous force through the glass window, shattering it into a hundred pieces. 

The grip on his throat brought relief for Gohan but it wouldn't last long. The next thing he felt was his body sailing weightlessly through the air like a rag doll. He heard the shattering of glass and felt the impact of the window on his back. Glass shards scratched his neck and back while smaller pieces lodged their way into his skin, the last bit of pain he felt before his body landed with a sickening thud on the ground outside the house, two stories below. 


	6. Chapter 4: Vegeta to the Rescue

The blue haired woman took off her small, oval shaped glasses and rubbed her tired eyes. Stretching her arms far beind her shoulders and leaning back, she let out a tremendous yawn. _Oh god, that feels good._ Opening her eyes, she took in the pleasant view of piles and piles of paper work, messily scattered across her desktop, the morbid monster that had robbed her of all her energy.

"Bulma, get something to eat," a deep voice said behind her. It was a voice all too familiar, the only thing that was worth coming home to at the end of a busy day at the Capsule Corporation head offices. 

"You're too good for me, Vegeta," Bulma replied, turning around in her swivel chair so she could face him. Standing in the doorway, Vegeta took off the stained apron he was wearing over a dark blue tank top and sweat pants and tossed it to his wife. 

"I know, and I'm finished with the cooking for today. Your turn to call the boy for dinner." He disappeared from the doorway, into the hall, leaving Bulma holding the apron in her hands with a loving smile creeping across her face. Vegeta was a cold man, an image perceived by many. It's how she'd thought of him too, when they had first met. But after really getting to know the man during the Z Soldier's war against an alien named Freeza, she had seen the loving, sarcastic humor the man possessed something she'd learn to grow in love with. Now, they had started a family with a young son named Trunks. 

Brushing herself off, Bulma got up from the chair and stretched a final time and headed for the door. As she entered the hallway, the aromatic scent of herbs and spices filled the air, making her mouth water uncontrollably. _That man has learned well…_ Bulma passed the living room where she could hear soft blips coming from the TV. Sure enough, sitting in front of it tapping insanely at a controller in his little palms, was her son, Trunks. 

"Come on, dear," she said, trying to lead the boy away from the video console with her words, "dinner's ready. Time to eat!" 

"Gimme five minutes," Trunks mumbled at her like a robot with his large purple eyes glued to the television screen. Bulma nodded, pretending to understand. 

"The screen color's a little off," she fibbed. "Let me take a look at it."

"No mom," Trunks said in his monotone voice – the voice he used whenever something had his attention. "The TV's fine."

"It most certainly isn't!" Bulma insisted as she began to crawl behind the TV set. "Don't worry about a thing honey, I'll get this thing fixed in no time!" The TV blacked out and shut off. "Oops! Sorry dear, I accidentally pulled the plug!" She reappeared from behind the TV with its plug in her hand. 

"Mom! I was on the last level!" 

"And this will be your last dinner if you don't come with me now," she said scooping the boy into her arms. He let out a groan as his mother carried him helplessly to the dining room. 

Bulma dug into her plate as if there were no tomorrow. Vegeta had prepared fresh steaming baked potatoes with sour cream topped with chives, bacon and sour cream for an appetizer. The main course had come from a recipe in a book that she'd bought, barbecued steak with light fat gravy. 

As Bulma ate, she found herself, on numerous occasions, wiping at her mouth with her hands, something she didn't do very often. She picked it up after watching Goku doing it a few times, finding it disgusting, yet humorous how the man would eat. His eating habits hadn't changed from since she had known him as a child. _Goku…_

The man had died saving the world from the demonic creature that once threatened the safety of the earth, known as Cell. She was saddened at his death, not to the level that Chichi had been, but she suffered emotionally nonetheless.

Noticing that his mother had started chewing slower than she had initially when she started, Trunks decided to ask, "Mom, what's wrong?"

Bulma glanced at him and stammered, "Oh, uh… nothing, dear. Just thinking about something, that's all. Finish your food." 

"We interrupt this program for an urgent news bulletin," the television practically screamed. "Downtown Satan City is under attack by some kind of powerful being that witnesses claim to be human, or at least humanoid. The creature has already destroyed some of the larger buildings downtown and is not stopping in his streak. Residents of Satan City are ordered to evacuate the city as soon as possible. The subways will keep running for at least the next forty-eight hours. It is advised to stay away from the highways leading out of town if at all possible. The military is moving in to contain the situation before it gets out of hand. Again, residents are urged to evacuate town…"

"Oh my god," Bulma said, putting her hand to her open mouth as she watched the television. Standing there dumbfounded for a moment that seemed like an eternity, Bulma finally forced herself to move. She picked up her son and screamed for Vegeta. If anyone could do something about it, she knew he could. 

The ex-Saiyan Prince was already ahead of her, running down the stairs. "Get out of here!" he yelled. "I'll stay behind and see what this is all about."

"Should I give Chichi and Gohan a call?" Bulma tried asking as Vegeta began nudging her towards the door. 

"No," he replied, "I'll call them myself. Just get yourself and Trunks out of this place as fast as you can."

_Oh god, what am I going to do?_ she wondered in panic as she headed for the car, fumbling for the right key in her pocket. "What's going on, Mom?" Trunks asked curiously. 

"Something very bad!" Bulma replied vaguely. "Just get into the car and put your seatbelt on, ok honey? We're going to Gohan's house."

**_KABOOM!_**

A tremendous explosion, just one street down from the house in which they lived. Bulma pulled her son close to her body and ducked as debris from the buildings flew every which way. The shock wave was great enough to have pushed the car a few inches and uprooted a few small shrubs. Bulma looked fearfully into the sky and saw the creature hovering a few hundred feet in the air above her. It wasn't paying any attention to them, thankfully. However, if it released another energy shot any closer than the last one, she knew her and Trunks would be finished. 

Looking closely, she could see indeed that it had a humanoid form, but was too distant to see any clear details. But from the shape of its body, it strongly resembled a person. _Could it be another Saiyan?_

A second energy beam, from another source, pierced the air and struck the being, stunning it temporarily. Bulma's eyes searched the skies for the source of this attack, knowing it was her husband. She just wanted to see him. "Vegeta!!"

Hovering hundreds of feet in the air at the same level of this creature, Vegeta had a clear view of what it looked like, and he didn't like what he saw. "Son Goken," he said, hardly being able to obscure his surprise at seeing the boy, "why are you doing this?" Vegeta noticed something terribly wrong with him. Although the face was definitely that of the second son of Goku, the expression and the way he conducted himself was strangely alien. He didn't say anything in response, but instead, swung his hand in a downward motion, as Vegeta felt some kind of invisible force throw him downward. 

The Saiyan managed to catch himself before his body hit the ground. He tasted blood in his mouth, and after putting a finger to his lips, he sight of bright red blood on his fingertips proved it. "Hmph," he grunted, "if that's the way you wanna play, I won't hold back."

Taking the time Vegeta had bought them, Bulma dashed into their car, practically throwing Trunks in the passenger seat. She floored the accelerator in reverse and quickly changing gears, sped off towards the city limits. _I hope he'll be alright… _


	7. Chapter 5: Heartbreak

_Oh god…_ Chichi brought covered her mouth, trying to contain the sick feeling in her stomach. She sat huddled on the leather couch in the living room with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. A man dressed in a trench coat sat be side her keeping her company while scribbling a few notes down on a notepad as she answered his questions. 

"I was just getting the kitchen cleaned up," she sniffed into a Kleenex. "Then I heard this crash upstairs." Tears began rolling out again from her sore red eyes. "And I saw Gohan fall onto the ground. It looked like he fell from upstairs." She started crying into the shoulder of the man sitting beside her, who wrapped a re-assuring arm around her. 

"I understand this must be hard for you," he said. "The paramedics are outside right now tending to his injuries and getting him ready to be taken to the hospital. Would it be better for you to answer my questions later?"

Chichi nodded, it was all she could do. "Please. I… I can't do this right now."

"Very well then," the man said. 

"Thank you detective."

A paramedic entered the room. "Sorry to interrupt, Ms. Son," he said apologetically. "But we're getting Gohan loaded onto the ambulance. His injuries aren't severe, but we're gonna have to keep him under special care for a few days. You're free to come with us to the hospital."

"Thank you," Chichi said, "but I think it'd be better if I stayed here. My other son is missing. I don't know what happened to him. If they were attacked, he could be out there somewhere and someone might try to make a phone call. I've got to be here to receive some kind of news on his whereabouts. It's good enough to know that Gohan is in good hands." 

Bidding the detective and the paramedics an unenergetic goodbye, Chichi closed the door silently. After making sure it was locked, she sunk to her knees and started weeping in despair. _What in the world is going on this time?_ She couldn't fathom another devastating attack on her personal family. _Why do they have to be Saiyans? Why do they need to be the target of everyone with evil intentions?_ The devastation ate at her heart, and there was nothing Chichi could do to stop the endless stream of tears flowing from her eyes. Her nose was beginning to clog from the mucus and the tissue she held in her hand was crumpled and too used up. But her legs were too weak to carry her over to get fresh tissue. So, she just sat in the doorway, leaning against the door sobbing, never feeling more pathetic in her entire life. 

_Ding-dong!_ The doorbell rang. Chichi lifted her head up from facing the floor. Wiping at her eyes quickly with her hands and rubbing her nose, she put on a fake smile, stood up and opened the door with forced enthusiasm. 

"Bulma!" she said. "What a surprise to see you. Hi Trunks!" She waved downwards at the young boy who waved back eyeing her suspiciously. He could tell something was wrong with her. 

"What's wrong, dear?" Bulma asked, putting her hands on Chichi's shoulders. "Your eyes are all red, like you've been crying!"

"It's just that… well, Gohan had an accident and…" After what had just happened, she could not retain her composure and collapsed in Bulma's arms, breaking out into tears again. 

"It's alright," Bulma said in a gentle, sympathetic voice. "You want to tell me what happened? Is Gohan okay?"

"It's Goken…" she sobbed weakly. "Something happened and I don't know what it is. Gohan got hurt, but the paramedics told me he'd be all right. But Goken's missing."

"I know you don't need this right now, dear," Bulma said, "but you need to get out of this house."

Chichi looked at her with red, swollen eyes and asked, "Why?"

"I've just heard on the news that some kind of humanoid creature is attacking downtown Satan City. All citizens have been ordered to evacuate. Vegeta stayed behind at my place and is fighting the creature now."

"Oh no," Chichi cried, "Do you think it's possible that Goken's disappearance has anything to do with it? Come to think of it, he was acting a little strange at dinner just awhile ago."

"We'll figure all this out later. But for now, we gotta get out of here." 

"But Goken, what if he…"

"It'd be best if we were there for him alive!" Bulma insisted, taking a hold of Chichi's arm, pulling her out the door. 

"Then you have to get Vegeta out of there!" Chichi said. 

"He's a smart man," Bulma replied. "He'll know when to pull out from battle." Bulma didn't believe her own words, but she needed to calm herself down first, for Chichi's sake.

"How can you hope to thwart me when you can't even lift a finger against my power?" Goken asked Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince now lay helplessly on the dirt ground, his clothing shredded, bleeding from his mouth and various cuts all over his body. Ignoring the pain that attempted at keeping him down, Vegeta struggled to get up and face his enemy to a battle to the death, even if it meant his own. 

"Who are you?" Vegeta asked, his voice trembling slightly. 

"I am the Firebird," Goken said. 

"Firebird?"

"A being obviously too much for the likes of you to handle. That is because now, I have the body of the Devotee."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Vegeta asked. "You have the body of Son Goken, Goku and Chichi's second child."

"And he possesses a power that far surpasses even that of the Saiyan," the Firebird explained. "Have you not seen enough yet? Or would you like me to show you some more?"

Vegeta knew he wasn't going anywhere in this state. He'd decided that there was no way this could have been Goken. A mere child to possess that amount of strength was unimaginable. Something was channeling it's energy through him, something that called itself the Firebird. But why Goken? And what was the Devotee?

Vegeta had long since began the teleport process to a safe distance from the Firebird. He had many questions and he wasn't going to get the answers from getting himself killed. Nor was he in any condition to fight. He needed help. 

The Firebird charged up a huge energy ball in his palms, electricity sizzling in the air forming a huge blue ball in between his hands. "DIE!!" the Firebird screamed as he threw the deadly energy ball at Vegeta. 

Vegeta had begun to feel the intense heat of the ball on the tip of his nose, coming straight towards him, but he had safely teleported away before it had the chance to vaporize him. The Firebird was left alone, looking in all directions for his enemy, but was unable in finding any sign of him. _Next time…_

"How did that man know who I was?" Goken asked the Firebird, obviously being too young to have recognized Vegeta from when he was a newborn. 

"I don't know," the Firebird replied. "Perhaps he was somehow able to read our mind." A lie he told that Goken was too naïve to pick up on. 

"I don't think you should've done what you did the Satan City," Goken said. "Those people were all innocent. They don't pose a threat so why bother to kill them at all?"

"Must I tell you again? If they have the ability to build such technologically advanced buildings and other junk, what makes you think they won't use their technology against us when we've taken unleashed our power over the universe? That way, they are a threat and need to be eradicated."

The Firebird let out a frustrated sigh. This kid was far too naïve to even suspect that he was the one with evil intentions, but keeping him in the dark was surely taking a toll on him, questioning their every action which he deemed to be acts of evil. _It's only temporary. After I've absorbed his body into mine, there'll be no need to keep him in the dark. But I have to for now, because if he finds out about what I plan to do, he will do everything in his power to force me out of this body, which has learned to rely on me for power and vice versa. And in at this state of the absorption process, if he succeeds in ridding himself of my presence, the shock will be enough to destroy us both. I must hold on a little longer. _


	8. Chapter 6: Attacked

Chapter 6

The deep blue of the cloudless sky hung overhead as a backdrop. A gentle breeze blew it's way across the marble floor, scattering bits of dirt and dust, and pushed them over the edge of the floor, letting them drop thousands of feet below. 

The serenity of Kaiosama's palace perfectly contradicted the chaos that was taking place on earth. Kaiosama himself stood at the edge of the circular marble platform high in the sky, rubbing his round blue chin in thought. 

"We need to stop this creature," he said silently to himself. No matter how many times he said it, the Kaio of the north never came close to a conclusion. He could feel the frustration release hot droplets of sweat through his skin. 

Alone, the Firebird itself was a powerful force. Making matters more difficult, it had Son Goken under his control. Getting to the Firebird would mean going through Goken first. _Why does he choose to ally himself with that thing? If only that boy realized the creature's true intentions!_

"Kaiosama!" a desperate voice cried loudly just behind him. 

The blue amphibian like god nearly jumped out of his skin and turned quickly around, recognizing Vegeta. "Must you approach me in such a dramatic manner?!" he screamed, clutching his chest. 

"If you had any idea what's happening on earth…"

"I know too well!!" In his state of frustration, Kaiosama hadn't initially noticed that Vegeta had some serious wounds. "What… what happened to you?" he asked, approaching the fallen Saiyan warrior. 

Vegeta clutched his side, wincing in pain. "It's nothing," he said. "Just get Gohan and the others over here."

"Dende!" Kaiosama summoned the little green Namek child. He appeared in a matter of moments, his green bald head shining brilliantly under the sunlight. 

"What is it, sir?" he asked. 

"Vegeta here needs some curing," Kaiosama said. "Please do what you can."

"Of course," Dende nodded. 

***

Far out of town, at the edge of a dense forest, the car screeched to a halt. "Waah!" a child started to wail in the back seat. 

Bulma, with sweat dripping down her face in intense, reached behind and took the child and started rocking it in her arms. "Hush, Trunks," she said. "It's okay, we're out of danger now."

"Oh no."

Bulma turned to face Chichi, in the passenger seat beside her. Chichi's arm clutched the armrest tightly with a white knuckled grip. Her eyes were wide with terror, her complexion had grown pale. 

"What's wrong?" Bulma asked. 

"The Firebird's attacking the city," she said. "What if it destroys the hospital? Bulma, Gohan is _in there!!_"

Chichi brought her hands up and covered her face. She started trembling uncontrollably and sobbing. Bulma could see tears making their way out from between her fingers, running down the back of her hands. "We have go back," she said. 

"No, Chichi. It's too dangerous!" Bulma said. "I've got a better idea. We'll head to Mutenroshi's island. He should provide us with a little shelter for awhile."

Chichi was unsure of how much protection they'd be under Mutenroshi's care. After all, he lived in a house on a tropical island not more than a few meters wide in the middle of the ocean. She then cringed at thought of his reaction if he saw two big-busted women walk through his door. "Maybe he can help us find a way to get to Gohan," she said. 

***

Gohan could feel the wind against his face. It was chilly, forming goose bumps all over his arms. Even through his closed eyelids, he could make out overhead lights passing over him. He opened his heavy eyes slightly, and saw three nurses wheeling his bed quickly down the hallway. _What's going on? They look panicked… Is something wrong with me? Where are they taking me? _As much as he could think, he didn't have the energy to speak or move. Gohan tried moving his arms to raise himself to a more comfortable position, but as soon as he'd moved slightly, the pain exploded through his arms. He could feel something cutting into his skin under the tight bandages. 

Then, he remembered the conversation in Goken's room, that unearthly voice coming from his brother, and his body crashing through the window. _That pain's gotta be from the broken glass of the window._

"Nurse…" he said, in a weak, trembling voice. _Strange, I didn't mean to sound that pathetically weak._

"Don't speak, Gohan," the nurse said while running. "We're taking you down to the basement of the hospital with all the other patients. Satan City is under attack from some kind of creature. You'll be safe down there."

The first thing that came to Gohan's mind was his brother. The nurse said a creature. But somehow, deep inside, he had a feeling it had to be Goken. His first instinct was to get up and get out there to help fight the Firebird. But the pain running up and down his arms and body told him he was in no condition to fight. Perhaps he'd wait and let himself be nursed back to health for the time being. 

The entire building shook with such force, little bits of dust and debris fell from the ceiling, while the lights flickered on and off for a moment and then died, enveloping the entire hospital in darkness. "Ah!" one of the nurses screamed, putting an arm above her face in a protective reflex as a bulb fell from above her head and crashed onto the floor in a thousand pieces of flying glass. 

A loud, splintering sound echoed through the hallway. Bright, evening sunlight lit the dark halls, indicating part of the hospital had collapsed. More screams, more death. 

"Get out of here!" Gohan shouted to the nurses. He tried getting up again, but the pain in his skin bit down harder, as if trying to keep him down. Gohan ignored it.

One of the nurses places a hand on his chest and pushed him painfully back onto the mattress. "We're taking you to the basement," she said. "We're not going to leave you." Even as regular people, by endangering their own lives to save his, they had the courage of warriors. Gohan had such admiration for the nurses. 

Another great explosion occurred nearby. It seemed a gas pipe had been broken in the crash, but what could have ignited it? The force of the blast had thrown one of the nurses off her feet and she had landed in some broken glass. 

"Oh god, Pam," her colleague said, "We've got to get some bandages."

"I can wait," the fallen nurse replied, "just get that patient down to the basement with the others!"

"No!" Gohan protested, but he was helpless to do anything as the other nurse grabbed a hold of his bed and continued wheeling him towards the elevator. 

He was unsure of what to do. His mind screamed at his body to get up and help the fallen nurse, but his body fiercely resisted. His limbs weighed a thousand pounds while his head throbbed at the rush of air in his face, as he sped down the hallway. The cuts in Gohan's skin didn't help ease anything either. 

Gohan had made it safely to the elevators. Through all the screaming and explosions, he could hear the injured nurse's cries for mercy. 

"Please don't hurt me!!" she begged. "I'm a nurse, I help people!!" 

"And I have no need for healers in this time of revolution," a voice replied. Gohan recognized that voice. It was familiar, but cold and inhuman. It was the Firebird. He'd made it here, Gohan could tell. And the helpless, piercing screams of the slaughtered nurse only confirmed it.


	9. Chapter 7: Chichi's Despair

As the gray clouds gathered overhead Kaiosama's palace, a slight breeze blew through the air, sending a chill down Chichi's spine. Goosebumps formed on her arms and she rubbed them, supplying a little warmth. She felt a soft hand place gently on her shoulder. Chichi looked to the side and saw Bulma's round face giving a sympathetic smile. Despite the pain in her heart, Chichi felt the support of a friend in her time of despair. 

"Thank you for coming to us," Kaiosama greeted. His voice, although unnaturally high pitched, bore a tone of dread. "The two of you must be well aware of the situation on earth." Kaiosama paused for a moment, thinking hard about which words to use to tell this devastated woman that her son was… "Goken."

"What?" The two women, with Bulma's arms wrapped protectively around Chichi's waist and shoulders, turned to face the North god directly. Their undivided attention focused on him through their wide, tear filled eyes.

"You may not know this, and I regret having to break this news to you," Kaiosama continued, stroking his blue fat chin. "The creature causing all this destruction is none other than your son, Chichi."

A moment of disbelief flashed through Chichi's mind. "…What do you mean?" she asked. Her mind couldn't grasp the concept of her own Goken being a cold blooded murderer. "I don't understand. Are you trying to tell me my son…" _Gohan fell through the window. He told me he was going to speak with Goken. Could… could he have done this? But they're brothers… _"It doesn't make sense. He… he would never do something like that." Her tone was definitive, firm. She stamped her foot on the ground to place emphasis. 

Kaiosama's palm circled the space in front of him, and a spherical window through space and time appeared. Inside was an image of the creature, blasting energy beams through his palms mercilessly at the population of Satan City below. On his face was a crazed look, that of a maniac who took pleasure at slaughtering other people. He salivated at the mouth as an unnaturally long tongue slipped between his lips and licked off the saliva on his face. They recognized the creature as Goken, but there was something very inhuman about him; the crazed look, the snakelike tongue, the very act he was performing…

"Goken has been possessed by a demon that calls itself the Firebird," Kaiosama explained. "The most disturbing fact is that at this moment, the boy has the power to resist the demon."

The words shattered Chichi. She could literally feel her heart ache, as if something inside her was eating her from the inside out. She started blankly at the floor, hands grasping the sides of her shaking head. She bent forward and knelt on the floor, continuing to shake her head in disbelief. "That's not my son…"

This is turn brought tears to Bulma's eyes, who continued to try and soothe her friend. Her efforts were in vain. "Kaiosama, please stop," she begged, sniffing back tears. "This is killing her. We can't… can't continue."

"That's NOT MY SON!!!" Chichi screamed, wrongly directing her frustration and heartbreak at the North god. She continued to moan in despair on the floor while Bulma stroked her back. She made eye contact with Dende, hoping the Namek child could help cure Chichi. 

He looked down towards the floor in shame. While he could heal physical wounds, he didn't have the power to heal Chichi's heart. 

"Let her rest," Kaiosama suggested. "She's been through enough suffering for a lifetime in these few days."

Walking out of the palace itself, a well rested Vegeta winced at the tight bandages wrapped around his ribs and leg as he approached the group. He spotted Chichi lying on the ground with a tear streaked face mumbling "That's not my son… not my son…"

"What's with her?" he asked casually.

"She found out about Goken," Bulma explained. "I assume you have too?"

"I fought the damn kid, Bulma," he spat. "And look what happened to me! Of course I knew. Something's definitely up with him."

"He's not resisting the Firebird," Kaiosama repeated. "I don't understand why."

"Why don't you ask the deluded woman?" Vegeta suggested, pointing at Chichi, smirking at his comment. Bulma shot frowned at him, unimpressed by his attitude. 

"This isn't the time to be joking around," she scolded.

"We need the Z Soldiers to gather," Kaiosama said. "We're going to figure out a way to defeat the Firebird without harming Goken."

"I say if the kids not fighting the thing, he's obviously in favor of the creature and against us," Vegeta said. "Why should be bother worrying about scratching him when he doesn't give a damn about killing us?"

Kaiosama shook his head. "There must be some reason. I don't believe that boy is evil. He's probably being manipulated." Vegeta snorted in response. "It doesn't matter right now. We need to get the other Z Soldiers here; Kuririn, Piccolo, Yamcha, Jyuuhachi Gou and Tenshinhan. We need to get Gohan out of the hospital first. We need him to help us defeat the Firebird." 


	10. Chapter 8: Too Late

Chapter 8

It had been awhile since Kuririn had even considered fighting again. Since the destruction of Cell, he had promised himself to devote the rest of his life to his wife and daughter. He remembered the look of sadness on his daughters face, just a few minutes ago when he announced her mother and father were going away for awhile. 

Wrinkles of a frown began appearing on Marron's young chubby face. Her large, blue eyes, inherited from her mother, filling with tears. "Are you gonna be coming back, mommy, daddy?"

Kuririn approached her, bending down slightly with outstretched arms. "Of course we are, honey," he said. "We're just going on a business trip for a few days." _Yeah, a potentially fatal business trip…_ He scooped his daughter up into his arms. She wrapped hers around his shoulders in a tight hug. 

"We're going to be home before you know it," Juuhachi Gou, Marron's mother, said. "Now stop crying, you know just as well as we do that you'll be alright with Muten Roshi-sama, right?"

Marron nodded as Kuririn put her back onto the floor. "Now be a good girl while we're gone." 

Juuhachi Gou had a strange way of keeping composed even in the most emotional situations. Even while travelling to Kamisama's palace on one of Bulma's technologically advanced Capsule Corporation vehicles, she remained cold as stone. But there was something about her composure that attracted Kuririn. He had been the center of jokes for years regarding his 'appreciation' for technology. 

"But how could you not?" he would often say. After all, more than one of the Z Soldiers had commented on Juuhachi Gou's stunning beauty before. Everything from her blonde shoulder length hair that seemed to shine even in the cloudiest of days, to her incarnate complexion.

"Of course she's perfect!" he remembered hearing Bulma say once. "After all, she was custom built by a MAN!! I could probably do it! There's nothing to it!" Despite her childish ranting, Chichi would give her total support. 

Now, gathering in the courtyard of Kamisama's palace high in the sky, she remained the same all through the briefing. Not even one hint of emotion when Kamisama said -

"Our enemy this time, is one of our own; the son of Goku and Chichi, Son Goken." Kuririn felt a cold hand clutch his heart. There was no way he could bring himself to fight a son of his long time friend Goku. He glanced at the facially scarred Yamcha who returned an equally shocked expression. "He's been possessed by an evil entity that calls itself the Firebird. Now at this time, Goken has the power to fight this creature. We don't know why, but he's not resisting. And if he doesn't do something about it soon, the Firebird will absorb his body entirely, and the two will become one."

A deep feeling of dread etched itself into Kuririn's heart. He ached for Chichi. She must already know this. _She's gotta be devastated…_

"As we speak, he has already demolished Satan City and is attacking some other area of the earth," Kamisama continued, "and we don't know exactly where. We'll be able to find out soon with Kaiosama's help. Before we can do anything against Goken, we need to find out about Gohan."

As if Goken's possession hadn't been enough bad news, everyone recoiled at hearing this. "What happened to him?" Juuhachi Gou asked in a cold tone, indicating a mere peaked curiosity.

"He was attacked by the Firebird," Kaiosama replied, letting Kamisama rest from speech. "Chichi told us he was taken to the hospital."

"Didn't you say Satan City was…"

"Destroyed by the Firebird?" he interrupted. "Yes, and that is why we need to find out about Gohan. A Saiyan warrior isn't that easily killed, so the chances of him being alive are quite high."

"He was injured," Kuririn reminded him, and began to tremble. What if Gohan really was dead? What could they do without him?

***

The dirty, cloudy air seemed to engulf Gohan's body. Particles of dust, dampened by his sweat, clung onto his body and assaulted just about all of his senses. The dust had polluted Gohan's lungs, and stung his eyes. 

When the putrid air had finally cleared, Gohan's eyes scanned the surrounding area for any other people as he coughed, spitting out fine grains of sand that had made their way into his mouth. There was hardly any light in the basement now. The Firebird's attack must've knocked out the power generators. 

"Is everyone okay?" he called out into the darkness. To his left, a form moved. The place wasn't pitch black after all. Tiny rays of light peeped through the cracks of the elevator shaft, now somewhat exposed from the attack that had left the walls cracked. 

As Gohan's eyes slowly adjusted to the dimness, he could make out various patients scattered throughout the hospital basement floor. Some were sleeping, others were crying and even more just lay still and unmoving. His heart went out to them. If being in a hospital was enough to make him break out into goose bumps, he couldn't imagine being rendered helpless with some kind of serious illness and having being stuck in a hospital that was being destroyed. 

"We should be asking you that," a voice so deep, it nearly grumbled said. Gohan realized he was still sitting on upright on his hospital bed. "Those cuts on you look pretty nasty," the voice continued. "With all this dust and exposure, they could get infected."

The owner of the voice walked forward, into a dim spotlight, where finer details of the individual could be seen. He was a man in his late thirty's sporting cropped gray hair and goatee of the same color. Under a tattered white long coat, Gohan could see shredded remains of what used to be a pressed shirt. Apparently, this man was a doctor. Deep lines ran across his face like crevasses, revealing the years of stress endured while on the job. 

"Can you help me?" Gohan asked. 

"Of course," the Doctor replied. "Good thing you still have your medical report here," he said taking a clipboard from a plastic pocket fastened to the foot end of the bed. "Got some nasty cuts and a few fractured ribs." The doctor lifted Gohan's shirt a little and took a look at the bandages. "The bandages are still tight, so that's good. Now we just have get something on those cuts."

"Oh god, just make it quick Doctor…" Gohan said, aware of the pain he was about to go through. 

"Takada," the doctor replied, "Doctor Takada. Don't worry, just hold onto the railing and squeeze and it'll be over before you know it. NURSE!!"

A short, skinny nurse came running timidly to the doctor's side. She carried a small medical kit with one arm and a roll of heavy-duty bandages in the other. Gohan gritted his teeth and slammed his eyes shut. 

*** 

"We've gone too far…" Goken said, hoping the Firebird could hear. Gokens consciousness, locked away in the back of his own mind bore all the burden and guilt of the Firebird's actions. "You need to stop all this useless killing." Goken was confused. Growing up in times of peace, he wasn't used to witnessing so much bloodshed. _And my brother…_

Goken had seen the desperate nurse wheel Gohan to the safety of the hospital basement while another fell behind. But the hospital basement wouldn't be safe for long. They could rip through the floor and decend from above them and slaughter more helpless people… The images played through his mind, remembering every detail of the nurse's death. The Firebird had grabbed the nurse by her throat and with one swift clench of his fist, he'd ruptured her throat and broken her neck. He then threw her body like a rag doll across the hallway, hearing a dull loud crack as her bones broke upon coming into contact with a wall.

Goken shuddered once again, more determined than ever to not let the Firebird take complete control. "Are you listening to me?!" he called loudly into the abyss. But there was no response. _Why isn't he replying to me? _Goken wondered. _That's it, If he wants to do this the hard way, I have no problem with that. _Throwing his consciousness into the darkness of the back of his mind, Goken resisted against the Firebird's presence, catching his attention. 

"What are you trying to do, you brat?" he asked in a bullying tone.

"You've done enough," Goken replied. "This is as far as you go, I'm taking over."

"Oh?" the Firebird asked, almost challenging the boy. "By all means then, take over!"

Again, Goken resisted against the Firebird's presence, but this time, it wasn't giving way even an inch. Panic struck him. "What are you doing?" he asked. "This isn't funny, give me back control of my -"

And invisible force knocked the boy away and kept him that way. Goken tried moving but his consciousness was being held prisoner in his own mind. "You're too damn stupid to notice this whole time," the Firebird said. "Since the moment I entered you through the mirror, I've been slowly absorbing your body and turning it into a part of me. Your consciousness will grow weaker and weaker until it'll be too weak to resist the absorption process altogether. I can do whatever I please and now, it's too late for you to stop me."

__

Could this be? Goken wondered. Perhaps it wasn't an invisible force preventing him from resisting the Firebird. Maybe he was just too weak to do anything about it. And now, the demon could whatever it wished, like going down into the basement and savagely murder everyone, and there was _nothing _he could do… Fear, frustration, panic and anger struck within a split second. Fear for everyone's lives, frustration for the helplessness of his situation, panic for the unpredictability of the Firebird, and anger at himself for being foolish enough to be lured into this trap. 

"You are nothing but a tool to help me gain the ultimate power, dear Devotee." It was the Firebird's painful reminder that the responsibility of everything that has happened and was about to happen hung upon Goken's head. 


	11. Chapter 9: Goken's Truth

The Firebird had the Goken trapped. The stupid brat had finally figured out his true intentions, as if they hadn't been clear from the start. Whatever, it was too late for him now anyway. The Firebird clenched his fist tightly and stared down intently at it. _This is my fist… not Goken's, mine…_

Stories he'd heard about the Devotee's power weren't exaggerated in any way. As the Firebird continued absorbing more of Goken's power, he could feel the energy levels within himself rising, filling him with more power than he'd ever imagined - and there was more to absorb!

It suddenly hit the Firebird. For all the power he was absorbing, he didn't have the mental capacity to control it as Goken did. After all, the powers were naturally his. It dawned on him that in order to survive the absorption process to the end, the Firebird had to absorb Goken's mind as well, which held the mental strength to control his power. _The kid will give up, once I convince him resistance is hopeless, _the he thought silently. 

The Firebird gazed down at the tiled floor of the hospital, covered with concrete rubble. Just below the floor, he could feel the life pulse of the survivors below. His mouth began to salivate. His palms began glowing, heating the air surrounding them. An energy ball began condensing in each palm and the Firebird brought his hands together, releasing a hot, burning beam of energy that pierced the floor. He could hear screams and bit of tile, insulation and concrete rained upon the innocents down below. 

The Firebird didn't care much about the regular patients. Taking their lives was just an extra goodie that came out of his efforts, his efforts to hunt down Gohan. If the Saiyan boy managed to escape his grasp, and he was sure he did, they would most likely bring him down here with the rest of the patients. 

***

"AH!!" Gohan's scream pierced the air loudly. His eyes were tightly shut, as all the muscles in his body tensed up to lessen the pain. It hadn't worked. The doctor and a few nurses continued to help keep his flailing legs down while they rubbed an antiseptic on to his wounds. 

"Keep still!" Doctor Takada ordered. 

"I... CAN'T… AHH!!!!" Gohan held onto the metal railing of his bed with a death grip. Doctor Takada rubbed the ointment on one more would and that was all he could take. Under the power of Gohan's grip, the area of the railing he held onto shattered under the pressure of his grip. Metal flakes were sent flying through the air the instant the railing collapsed. 

Doctor Takada was taken by surprise and backed away from Gohan, eyes wide with fear. Gohan sat up in his bed panting and wincing from the pain. "Sorry Doctor," he said between breaths. "It just hurts."

As if triggered by the breaking of the metal railing of Gohan's bed, the a huge chunk was blown away from the ceiling, covering everything in a fresh layer of dust and debris. A energy beam crashed through the ceiling from above while it's heat singed the air of the basement, roasting any unfortunate patient that happened to be in it's path. 

Gohan brought his hands up to protect his face from the flying heated particles. "Muahaha," came an evil laugh from in the midst of the smog. _Oh god, that voice!_ He thought. "Thought you could escape from me, didn't you?"

Gohan couldn't see the figure, but he had a good idea who it was and that it was talking to him. "What do you want, Firebird?" he asked. "You've got my brother and shattered our family. Isnt' that enough for you?"

"My objective wasn't to destroy your family," the Firebird replied coldly. "That was just a little something extra that came with the package. What I want is power. And your brother has it."

"Goken is half Saiyan and half human!" Gohan said. "Why did you choose him? Why not me?"

"Because Goken isn't half Saiyan and half human, you fool," Firebird said. The words didn't sink in right away. Goken's biological parents were Goku and Chichi. Why wouldn't he half their genes…? "He is the Devotee of the Firebird race, of which I belong as well." _This can't be. Goken is my brother, not some kind of freak space alien. _

"Oh, he is one of us," Firebird said smirking, replying to Gohan's thoughts. The smoke began to clear gradually and the fearsome aura of the Firebird radiated from Goken's shell. "Mind reading is one of his potential abilities I have unlocked and accessed."

"How can Goken be one of you?!" Gohan almost screamed. What this demon was suggesting was ridiculous. He'd been there when Goken was born and he'd came out of Chichi. 

"Legend has it that the Devotee is one of us Firebird creatures born with a mortal body," the Firebird began.

*** 

"The Eight Star Dragon Ball, creator of the Firebird race, will implant the chosen host with a crystal," Kamisama explained. "During the time of conception, the crystal acts as sort of a mind that dictates the genetics of the fetus. After the sperm cell and the egg have joined, the crystal will extract any distinct characteristics both parent cells, and replace them with it's own - the Firebird genetics. During this transaction, the fetus is said to illuminate."

"I don't understand," Kuririn said holding his head between his palms. "So you're saying Goken isn't really a Saiyan and human cross, but is of the same species of the Firebird instead?"

"Yes," Kamisama replied. "He is still the son of Goku and Chichi by blood, but he just doesn't have either of their traits."

Sitting a little farther from the rest of the group, the Namek warrior Piccolo heard and absorbed all the information. He'd kept an eye on Goken, watching his training process. All of the training of becoming a Saiyan warrior for Goken, all of the pain and suffering was for nothing. He isn't a Saiyan warrior after all. A deep regret etched itself into Piccolo's mind for Gohan, and for Goken, who's intense training had been in vain. The boy must have harbored intense feelings of hatred for being born into a Saiyan family and expected to follow in his father's footsteps. _No wonder he hadn't resisted the Firebird when it entered his body. He was out to destroy anyone who would try to get in his way and Gohan would be the first try and stop him. Knowing that Gohan would be killed, Goken must've allowed the Firebird to do proceed with his plans…_

"Something bothering you Piccolo?" Kuririn asked, noticing the look of discontent on Piccolo's face. 

"This is all starting to make sense," the Namek warrior began. "I've seen Gohan train the boy before. It was intense, not as harsh as what I put Gohan through when he was younger, but intense nonetheless. When I trained Gohan, it was the inherited abilities from his father that got him through the training. But with Goken…"

"So when Goken didn't start showing any development as a Saiyan," Kuririn continued, "it was only natural to feel a horrible hatred towards Gohan who was pushing him so hard."

"So to sum it up, Gohan kept driving at his brother because he couldn't find any Saiyan abilities," Juuhachi Gou said, "but there were none to begin with. In the end, Goken turned out this way."

"But we mustn't believe Goken is behind everything that's going on," Kamisama reminded. "Keep in mind, that his hatred towards everything Saiyan may have let the Firebird into his body. But everything being done now is the Firebird's actions, not Goken's. 

"If Goken didn't agree with the Firebird's actions, he'd do something about it!" Vegeta exclaimed with frustration. "You said so yourself. He has the power to fight the demon in his body. Why doesn't he?"

"Because it's too late," Kamisama replied. His voice was quiet and grim with realization. "The absorption process is nearing completion. The Firebird almost has absorbed so much of Goken's power, so even if the boy tried resisting, he would be too weak to do anything."

"But we have a chance," Kaiosama continued. "Goken may not be able to do anything against the Firebird, but we can." Seeing the looks of interest in everyone's face, the North God new he had their attentions. "Goken is the Devotee, a creature of the same species as the Firebird, which are made completely of energy, except he's got a human body, created by Goku and Chichi. By combining a mortal body with a Firebird energy, the boy has the power to transcend both energetic and physical planes. That it is the power our Firebird demon is after."

"But if the demon has already absorbed most of Goken's power," Yamcha asked, "how can we hope to stop him? The power he has at this point would be immeasurable."

"Not necessarily true," Kamisama replied. "The Firebird may be able to possess Goken because they're both made up of energy. But Goken has a lot more power than the Firebird, more than the Firebird can hope to control. So even if the Firebird absorbs all the power, it'll kill him if he doesn't absorb Goken's mind."

"What so special about the boys mind?" Vegeta asked.

"Because it has the ability to control the powers he was naturally born with. The Firebird, on the other hand, wasn't meant to have such power. So the only way the demon can hope to survive the absorption process is to get Goken's mind as well."

"So what I'm saying," Kaiosama continued, "is if Goken can hold on long enough before he's too weak to resist the absorption on his mind, we have that chance to destroy the Firebird!!"


	12. Interlude: Execution

The darkness of his own mind was overbearing. Goken wrapped his arms tighter around himself, biting into his lower lip with the little strength he had left. As needles of the cold painfully pierced into his skin, he closed his eyes tightly, silently begging for the torture to end soon. 

He could feel the presence of the Firebird, grabbing at his consciousness, wanting to absorb it as his own. Goken promised himself that would never happen, but keeping that promise was the hardest part. The pain of the Firebird's fury erupted inside him, torturing him to surrender himself. The demon wasn't going to give up trying to absorb Goken's consciousness. With the rising pain, the cold seemed to get worse too, draining more of his endurance. Goken gasped for air, hoping to find a new source of energy in breath, but there was none. 

Trapped in the back of his own mind, with darkness blinding him, the cold freezing him and the Firebird's presence crushing him, and without the strength or energy left to defend himself, Goken endured, holding on by pure will. He knew that if he ever gave in, his consciousness would belong to the Firebird. 

As the pain reached it's climax, when Goken thought he was about to lose himself, a warm light began to spread and the darkness started to reside. The warmth very slowly wrapped around his body and he started to let go…

A chill made it's way up Goku's spine as he registered the fading form of a human body lying before him. It was the form of a young boy lying on his side, arms wrapped around his stomach and curled slightly into a ball. 

The child was familiar. The immediate recognition made Goku want to reach out and embrace him. _My son… I'm so sorry out first meeting has to be under these circumstances._

"Goken?" Goku said, but didn't expect any response. He was almost unconscious. His presence in the afterlife could only mean that on earth, he was… "Answer me, Goken!" Goku nearly screamed. 

Goken opened his eyes slightly. _Oh god, if he gains consciousness in the afterlife, that means he would die in the physical world_.

"Who… who are you…?" the boy asked with a weak, wavering voice. His eyes opened slightly, to reveal brown eyes, unlike Goku's. There was so much he wanted to tell the boy; about his purpose in life, about his parents, about his father. 

"You don't belong here," Goku replied, ignoring his question. "You are needed on earth."

Goken blinked his eyes, taking in his surroundings. "Where am I?"

"You don't belong here," Goku repeated, more urgently this time. "Not yet, anyway."

Goken seemed to ignore him, as he tried getting up. But his Goku would not allow it. He grasped Goken's tightly, making him wince in shock and pain. "Can you still feel the Firebird?" he asked. 

Goken nodded. _Thank god, so he's not completely dead yet. _"Yeah," he said, "it hurts a lot. But not so much now cause…"

"I want you to fight it, Goken," Goku said, not wanting him to finish the sentence. He knelt down beside the boy and placed his hand on his forehead. Goku's fingertips began to glow and he said, "This is just so you've got a little more energy to fight the Firebird."

"But I…"

"You may not be a Saiyan. But you are my son nonetheless. And that means you don't give up when the world is depending on you."

"Your son?" Goken asked, eyes widening. "Just who are you -" But he didn't get an answer to his question. He was returning back to the physical realm, back to his personal hell and his mission to overcome it. 

***

There were no more tears to cry. Chichi had dabbed away the remaining moisture from her face, adjusted her shawl around her shoulders, and now sat on a makeshift mattress in her room in Kamisama's Palace. Her hands were wrapped around a cup of hot tea, it's heat singeing her hands. But the pain was nothing compared to what she felt inside. 

_What's the worst that can happen? _She asked herself, searching for hope. _Either we destroy the Firebird and Goken dies… _Chichi cringed at the thought and went to consider the alternatives, _or the Firebird will absorb Goken and kill us all… _Death didn't seem like a favorable alternative either. The instinct to cry tried making itself known in Chichi's mind again, but she knew it would be pointless. _I can sit here and cry all day, or I can do something about it. But what?_

Her train of thought was broken by a soft knock on the door. "Come in," Chichi said controlling her voice so it wouldn't tremble. Bulma entered, rubbing her bare arms for some heat. 

"It's cold in here at night," she said smiling sympathetically. "I brought you a blanket." She held it inches from Chichi's lap. 

"Thank you, dear," Chichi said, accepting the lump of blue warmth gratefully. Bulma's usually optimistic eyes sagged a little at the sides. Her mouth wrinkled to form words to tell Chichi, but stopped midway. Chichi was didn't need her to say anything to know something was wrong. 

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Huh?" Bulma was caught off guard, unaware Chichi had picked up on her emotions. "I'm sorry, it's just that… well…"

"Please Bulma," Chichi said, being direct with her friend. "I don't need anyone keeping secrets from me anymore. I want t know what's going on. Tell me what their plan is."

"Oh god, I'm not sure if I should," Bulma said as she bit her bottom lip. _The poor woman's been through enough. _Chichi's fixed gaze into Bulma's eyes were unwavering. "Chichi, they're going to take down the Firebird."

"Oh thank god," Chichi breathed, much to her friend's surprise. "How are they going to do that?"

"If Goken can hold off the Firebird for a bit longer, we will have a chance to destroy him. But… but that means we'll kill Goken too."

"Kill…Goken…?" The tears came back, replenished by a new source of sorrow. Bulma hugged Chichi tightly. "I'm so sorry," she whispered into Chichi's ear. "But the life on this planet outweighs… Gokens…" Bulma cursed at herself mentally while Chichi cried harder, understanding the truth herself."

"I know," she said, choking back more tears, "It's just that… I don't want to lose my son. And with Gohan in the hospital that the Firebird attacked, I might lose both of them."

"We'll find out soon enough," Bulma said. "Vegeta and the others are on their way to the Firebird's location. They're going to take out the Firebird and search the city for survivors. If Gohan is alive, they'll find him. Besides, that boy's one tough cookie." She looked into Chichi's eyes and smiled, hoping that little good news was enough to calm her a little. "He's grown up now, Chichi. And if anyone can survive through this, I'm sure he can."


	13. Chapter 10: Merging of Goken and the Fir...

The Firebird could feel Goken's strength giving out. The boy's energy was slowly draining away, absorbed by the Firebird himself. It was only a matter of time before he'd gain the ability to fully control the powers he got from Goken. 

The Firebird's eyes scanned the surrounding rubble of what used to be Satan City for any life signs; life signs that would have to be terminated. Just a few moments ago, there had been an elderly man, wearing the shreds of what used to be a pressed shirt. His leg had been caught under a chunk of rubble not much larger than an automobile. Wrinkles formed around his face as he winced in agony. 

The man took notice of the Firebird and reached out a prune like hand begging for help. "Please, help me remove this rock," he pleaded. 

The Firebird decided to have a little fun with him and he said, "Don't worry sir, I'll help you move the rubble from your leg." He placed his hands at the bottom of the huge concrete chunk that had the man's legs pinned, and lifted. 

"Oh thank you," the man said as tears of joy slowly crept out the corner of his eyes. His hands ran over the sore wounds on his leg, analyzing the degree of damage. He had taken his attention off the Firebird, who still held the concrete boulder in his arms. 

"I'm getting tired," the Firebird said, "and you told me to move the boulder. So I did, but now I gotta put it down somewhere." Using only a portion of his strength, he threw the boulder onto the elderly man, hearing it come into contact with his torso. The impact made a dull, wet sounding crack as it crushed his body under its immense weight. 

"Asshole…" Goken managed to whisper from the back of his mind. 

"Damn it, kid," the Firebird cursed, "what the hell are you still doing alive?"

***

"What the hell are you still doing alive?" 

Vegeta heard it with his own ears. How had the Firebird noticed their presence? _Those bloody Z soldiers had to tag along, _he grumbled silently. _I could've taken the Firebird out myself but-_

"We're here to take you out," Yamcha said, standing out in the open from the protection of the rubble they were hiding behind. Vegeta sneered at his stupidity. _The man can't even hold his own in an arm wrestle against me! What makes him think he'll put up a decent girl fight with the Firebird?_

"It's time you stop hiding behind one of our own Z soldiers for protection," Juuhachi Gou added in. 

"Bad enough you had to do that," Piccolo said, "but to a child? That's despicable."

"I'm beginning to lose my interest in your justice speeches," the Firebird said lethargically. "How foolish of you to stand in my way, especially since I have the body of the Devotee in my possession!" 

"That does it!" Vegeta yelled, his voice echoing the loudest above everyone else's. "Do you really think we give a flying fuck about who's body you possess?" The others turned around to face the Saiyan prince. Even his comrades had been surprised at his reaction. "I've been saying this the whole time, but nobody seems to wanna believe it. I say if Goken is foolish enough to not resist your presence in the first place, then the brat is getting everything he deserves!! Even if it means killing him to get to you!!"

***

The words cut painful wounds into Goken. _All this time I've been keeping the Firebird away from my consciousness… just so everyone else will get a chance to destroy him. And now, they want to kill me too?_

"I don't know where you get the idea to resist me from," the Firebird said to Goken. "But these people are clearly not your allies. Why do you still give them the opportunity to destroy us?"

"Because I thought they…," the boy replied weakly.

"You thought _wrong_, Goken!" the Firebird interrupted harshly. "Your foolish decision to resist my power could've cost the both of us our lives. Now you know who the real enemies are!"

"Real enemies?!!" Goken nearly choked after hearing what he said. "You're the one who admitted to tricking me into letting you absorb my body! And speaking to me like I'm a kid, I mean…"

_The boy has a point, _the Firebird realized. _I did admit to being the bad guy in the past._

"It looks like you have no allies in this world then," the Firebird replied. "But think of it this way.

You are the Devotee. Through me, you can exact your revenge on them." His voice calmed down to a sympathetic tone. "You are not of their kind. It's only natural for them to loathe what they don't understand. Such is their nature. I may have deceived you for my own reasons, but in doing so look at all the power you get in return! I've told you from the beginning -"

"You are my savior," Goken repeated what the Firebird had said when they first confronted each other. The emotion this time was lost in his voice, merely blank words and slipped out of his mouth. "I think… I think I'm beginning to understand…"

"Let me into your mind," the Firebird said. "Let me gain the abilities to control the powers inherited from you. We will merge as one and together, we will exact revenge on those who've betrayed you."

_I'm sorry father, _Goken prayed silently to Goku in the heavens. _I've been fighting for the wrong side this whole time. I can't fight the Firebird any longer. He probably doesn't mean well, but if I don't go along with his plan, the Z Soldiers will kill me. Besides, once I merge with the Firebird, I'll have the ability to stop him before he starts abusing his power. After all, we will be one in the same, right? _Goken's reason convinced him enough and his sadness and disappointment immediately gave way to rage. "We'll spare none of them," he said. "This time, I want to be a part of their deaths, not a mere bystander."

"Just say the word and you may do as you wish," the Firebird said, smirking with glee. _Thank you, you foolish Saiyan prince. You've just angered the Devotee and by doing so, you have brought death upon yourself and everyone you care about._

"One more thing," Goken said. "When we find Gohan, save him for me. I want his blood."


	14. Chapter 11: Earth's Only Hope

Chapter 11

The first tears of shame had well fallen, forming a puddle on the ground. Gohan wiped his sore eyes with the back of a dust covered hand, feeling it's sting as it came into contact. His face was warm, probably red too, from crying.

_How could I just abandon those people back at the hospital? _he asked himself. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the events of the past hour. After the Firebird explained the purpose of Goken's life, after Gohan discovered his brother was merely a tool, the Firebird prepared a gigantic energy ball within his fist, one that would surely wipe out everything within a one mile radius. 

Just before the energy ball exploded, Gohan successfully teleported away to a safe distance. He barely escaped. The energy ball was close enough to his face for it to singe his face. However, the regular people with him at the hospital weren't so lucky. _It was a miracle I could even save myself after finding out about Goken, after what I did to him… _ Gohan continued to sob, for Goken this time, realizing what his brother must've been going through. _He really was giving his all just to make me happy_. He was giving his all to be something he wasn't… _No wonder he let the Firebird into his body. Good job. This is all your fault, asshole._

Cuts still adorned his body, coated in dust, physically drained and emotionally shattered, Gohan collapsed on the rubble decorated ground and started to close his eyes. He needed rest. The events of the past few days had taken a toll on him, and he'd hardly gotten a decent three hours of sleep, if three hours were considered decent, since the Firebird attacked. 

__

It was never this hard before, not with Cell. I was tired - no - exhausted, but I had the determination to destroy Cell. And in the end, that was what helped me pull through. But by turning my own brother against everyone, the Firebird has done so much more than Cell ever could. So this is how you destroy a Z Soldier; by harming one of their own. And it had worked. Gohan felt no need to destroy the Firebird right now. He only felt the need to blame himself and mourn his brother. _ All my fault…_ That was his last coherent thought before falling into a deep, torturous dream. 

Kuririn swore he felt a rip snap as the Firebirds shin slammed into it. He felt himself get picked up effortlessly with one hand, and the next thing he knew, he was sailing through the air and collided with something huge. Sharp rocks dug into Kuririn's back, the pressure from his landing making it worse. He winced, one arm holding his side, the other clawing the ground, trying to pull himself up to a sitting position. His efforts were only thwarted by a shooting pain up running and down his side. _Oh god, something definitely isn't right, over here._

The Firebird hadn't forgotten about him yet. It raced forward at an impossible speed, ready to collide with the beaten Kuririn in a fury of painful punches and kicks. Kuririn covered his head with his free arm, the other wrapped around his injured ribs, hoping the end would be quick. When Kuririn felt something warm and wet splash against him instead of unbearable agony, he had to look. 

He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Piccolo's head get smashed with the heel the Firebird's foot. The Namek warrior handled pain well and retorted with a spinning back kick and a series of fireballs. The force of the explosion threw the Firebird back, but he caught himself before landing painfully on the jagged rock covered ground. 

"Piccolo!" Kuririn cried, out of concern. He prepared to stand up, but the shooting pain from his ribs kept him anchored. 

"Don't move, Kuririn," Piccolo said, still facing the Firebird. "We need to get Dende down here. The Firebird is too much for us to handle alone."

Juuhachi Gou attacked the Firebird from the left, Yamcha on the right. A wall of energy surrounded the Firebird, throwing her and Yamcha away from him. He continued walking menacingly towards Piccolo, who stood defensively in front of Kuririn.

Vegeta surprised the Firebird from behind, one arm wrapped around his neck, the other twisting his arm behind his back. It didn't take much effort, considering the Firebird was housed in the body of a six year old. He was still careful not to underestimate the power it had. In their last meeting, Vegeta had almost been killed. He shuddered at the thought. There as no way that he, a Saiyan prince, would accept death at the hands of some child. 

The Saiyan prince had him in a hold that wasn't quite so easy to escape from. The Firebird tried pulling his arms free, but that took too much effort. _I could always gather an energy ball and vaporize - _"UUGGHNN" he cried when Piccolo's fist slammed into his stomach. Another wave of hot pain erupted in his face as it collided with the Namek warrior's elbow. 

Piccolo pounded mercilessly at the Firebird, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction every time blood spilled from his mouth or elsewhere. Without warning, a wall of fire encased the three of them and erupted into an inferno. Using their Ki, Piccolo and Vegeta formed a protective barrier around themselves but those were hardly powerful enough to shield them from the heat. The inferno disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, only to reveal a battle scarred Firebird who was fully charged up. Goken's black hair had turned fiery red, his clothes were singed black at the edges. His round, youthful eyes glowed red and had gone expressionless. 

"You have angered the Devotee," the Firebird said. Without warning, giant pillars of flame erupted from the ground randomly. Giant cracks began forming with molten lava spilling through. Boulders surrounding the Firebird exploded with the sheer force that erupted from his body. Dark ominous clouds gathered in the skies above their heads exploded with lightning and thunder. The ground shook violently, throwing the other Z Soldiers off their feet. Whatever remained standing of downtown Satan City's buildings were leveled in that instant. The city was now nothing more than a desert of boulders, corpses and dust. And in the middle of it all, were the Z Soldiers, each one saying their last words as the Firebird continued his ruthless genocide. 

Gohan was the earth's only hope now. With his natural powers as the Devotee increasing, Goken awaited the battle with his brother and he would finally get the revenge he thirsted for.


	15. Chapter 12: Goken's Fate is Decided

__

Tired, I feel so tired… A cold chill engulfed Gohan's body, but he was too tired to even shiver. His limbs were too heavy to move. His head throbbed while his stomach turned. He tried to wake up, maybe to get a little fresh air to get the nausea to pass. But he didn't even have the energy to open his eyelids. Another chill, forming goose bumps all over his body. 

Gohan lay there, in the middle of a vast, cold darkness unable to move, too weak to do anything about the cold, the nausea, the throbbing… As he fell deeper into unconsciousness, the feelings recessed. _Or am I becoming numb? Is this what it feels like to die?_

"Gohan!" A authoritative voice jerked him back to reality. He opened his eyes and saw giant, dark ominous clouds overhead. Lightning flashed dramatically while rain poured down in sheets. It soaked the dusty ground, turning it into mud. Gohan's clothes were soaked right through. "Now isn't the time to be lying there!"

The voice, although ringing with a strict tone, was so familiar, so warm that it made Gohan want to cry. "Dad? Is that you, dad?" Gohan could see a faint image of a man. Locks of black hair stood out from his head and framed his face. He was surrounding by a white light, appearing almost angelic if it weren't for the look of desperation on his face. 

"Get up, Gohan," Goku said with tears forming in his eyes. 

In all his years, Gohan had never seen his father even come close to crying. He'd always been strong, all the way to his death. But considering the circumstances, he couldn't blame Goku. "Dad, what's wrong?" Gohan asked, even though he could safely guess what was bothering him. After all, Goku valued his family and although he'd never met his son Goken, Gohan their father would be watching over them. And now he didn't like what he saw. 

"It's not too late to do something about the Firebird," Goku said. "He has inherited a lot of power from Goken and he is only beginning to discover what he can do. The Firebird isn't at full power yet so this is the best time to kill him."

"Dad, Goken's in there," Gohan retorted. "Listen to what you're suggesting!"

"I'm suggesting we save the world," Goku replied. "It was Goken's irresponsibility that brought the danger of the Firebird into this world. I don't blame Goken completely for his wrong doings. It's sad he never knew that he was so different from everyone else. But there are more important things at hand than to worry about the emotional stability of one person. If to kill the Firebird we have to kill Goken, so be it. The bottom line is he's partly responsible for all that's happened. And though it hurts me to say this, he cannot be allowed to live anymore, even if he is my son." Goku bit his lip. His eyes squeezed shut and tears began spilling from them. His teeth began to cut the lip and dark red blood made it's way down his chin, mixing with the salty tears. 

It pained Gohan to see his father like this. He couldn't imagine a father having to tell one of his children to kill the other. Worse yet, it was his _own _father telling him to do it. "Dad, I… I don't know if I can kill Goken…"

"I'm asking you to kill the Firebird," Goku said. "And if that means you have to kill Goken, not only do we not have another choice, but rightfully Goken doesn't deserve to live either." Gohan was still reluctant to even consider the thought. "Think of your mother," Goku continued. "Look at the pain she's going through. Think of the other Z Soldiers, Kuririn, Yamcha, Piccolo, Vegeta." 

Images of the warriors flashed through Gohan's mind, each one bruised, bloody and beaten up. The expressions on each of their faces showed pain and suffering. Behind it all, he could hear the laughter of the Firebird, and Goken's own suffering, imposed by Gohan himself. 

"I can't do this anymore," Goken said, collapsing in a heap on the cool grass. "I can't transform into a Saiyan. It's too hard."

"You're just not trying hard enough!" Gohan insisted. "I have to keep training you until you get it right. And I don't want you giving up!"

"It's useless!!" Goken shouted. "Of course I'm trying hard enough. Can't you see nothings coming out of it? I can't do this! I'm tired, I can't move, I can't _do this!!"_

POW!! Goken felt his body sail helplessly through the air and felt the wind leave his body as it came into contact with the ground again. His face burned with the power of a backhanded slap from Gohan. 

Goken held a hand to his face, minimizing the pain. He sat up and started at his brother wide eyed. Although tears flowed from Gokens eyes, he wasn't crying. He couldn't cry. Gohan was standing there looking down sternly at him. Not even a hint of remorse in his eyes. 

He said coldly, "Get up and try again."

Gohan shook the unpleasant memory from his mind. It was his fault that Goken had brought about the Firebird. If anyone wasn't allowed to live, it was Gohan himself. 

"I know there was no way you could've known Goken wasn't a Saiyan," Goku said, trying to encourage Gohan. "But you can't blame yourself now. There are more important things to worry about, like the lives of everyone on this planet. The Firebird poses a threat to that and we need to eradicate that threat. After all, that's what the Z Soldiers are for, right?" Goku wiped an arm across his face, removing his own sadness and fixing his gaze upon Gohan. "I won't allow the earth to be in danger of any force, and I know you won't either."

"You're right, dad," Gohan said. He couldn't look Goku in the eye, although he understood what needed to be done. "The earth needs us. And if the Firebird thinks I'll just sit by and let him do as he wishes just because he's hiding behind the shell of my brother, he's wrong. Dead _fucking _wrong." 

***

"Then come to me," the Firebird taunted, silently reading Gohan's thoughts. "Goken has warned me about how powerful you are and I wish to test my new powers against you. Do not disappoint me."


	16. Chapter 13: The Final Battle Part 1

The sweet smell of success was in the air, the Firebird could smell it as he paced around. He looked up at the gray clouds and opened his mouth, letting the cool, fresh raindrops splash across his tongue. His dirt caked boots scraped the ground as he looked around, admiring the effects of his increasing power. 

During the last battle with the Z Soldiers, numerous deep cracks had formed in the ground, allowing molten rock to seep through. The unstable ground eventually collapsed and formed a deep crater about half a mile wide. The rock within the crater was singed black from the heat within the earth. At the center of the crater, hundreds of feet below the surface spanned a lake of boiling lava. 

The Z Soldiers he encountered in the last battle weren't difficult to deal with, so to speak. He'd expected more from them, at least from what he's heard. They were responsible for the defeat of King Freeza and Cell. _Well I shouldn't be surprised, after all I have the power of the Devotee on my side. _And it was because of that power that the Z Soldiers now lay scattered on the jagged rocks surrounding the crater, unconscious but still alive. _The perfect bait for Gohan. _He was on his way. The Firebird could sense his Ki. 

***

_That sick creature has gone too far. _The air rushed by Gohan, sending spikes of his golden hair and his clothing into ripples. Various terrain passed by at amazing speeds and he could feel the Firebird's energy source come closer. Gohan's green Saiyan eyes focused on the one spot where he could sense the energy. 

He frowned as he passed over the remains of downtown Satan City. The entire city had been leveled. He could see cars that had been ignited by a gasoline leakage, and corpses that remained from failed rescue attempts. 

__

How can you allow all this death, Goken? Gohan wondered. For the first time, the thought of his brother didn't fill Gohan with guilt. This time it angered him. It made him angry that Goken could go this far because of his own bitterness, that Goken had turned a blind eye to the massacre of an entire city and potentially, the world.

The increase in the Firebird's power source broke Gohan's train of thought. He was very close. 

***

High in the sky, two enormous beams of light collided that night. The red one from the east, blue one from the west. The shock of the collision shook the earth with such tremendous force that huge boulders had been launched hundreds of feet into the air. The energy that radiated from the collision cooked anything within a half-mile radius. 

The only thing racing across Gohan's mind was the knowledge that the Firebird must die. Surrounded in his blue ki, Gohan threw wave after wave of fireballs toward the Firebird. Each one hit it's target, resulting in a powerful explosion that threw it back. _This one's for what you've done to my mother!_ Gohan raced towards the Firebird and threw a punch at his face, hearing a loud thump as his fist made contact. Gohan spun around, throwing his heel in the air, connecting with the other side of his head, throwing him in the opposite direction. He teleported behind the Firebird, and seized both arms with one hand, using the other to send elbow smashes into his chest and face. 

_This one's for the Z soldiers!!_

POW!!

_For the people of Satan City!!_

Two more elbow smashes. Gohan's arm was now coated in blood from the Firebird.

_For what you've done to me!!_

A fist to the stomach and an uppercut to the jaw -

_And this is for Goken!!_

A flurry of punches that sent the Firebird crashing towards a giant crater on the ground below. 

The Firebird's head throbbed. This Saiyan boy was quite powerful. He'd hardly been able to do anything before he felt himself be engulfed with pain and then collide with the ground. The Firebird got up slowly, only to see Gohan rush down at him from above. _Got you right where I want you. _

With a simple motion of his arms, the lava at the bottom of the crater shot up into the sky, forming giant , almost inpenetrable pillars. Gohan was hit by a stream of the rising lava and was able to protect himself in time. But the forced had knocked the Saiyan warrior off course and he too was sent crashing to the center of the crater. 

The Firebird took advantage of this situation. He found a massive boulder about a third the size of a small car just a few feet behind him. He wrapped his arms around it, having a little difficulty because Goken's body was still growing. After having it firmly in his grasp, he threw it at Gohan. The boy rolled over but not quickly enough as the rock fell onto his arm. Gohan screamed in pain, feeling the bones break, and the searing pain shooting up and down his arm. Using his free arm, Gohan gathered a fireball in his palm and vaporized the boulder. He could feel the bone had broken in a few areas. The skin was torn and bleeding. The Firebird continued his assault, flying at Gohan with a fury of vicious kicks and punches. Gohan defended himself well at first, using only his good arm, but then after the Firebird landed a good blow to his broken arm, Gohan's focus was lost and he found himself in a world of pain. 

***

Bulma had her hands clasped firmly in front of her face, as her large, blue eyes held an unwavering gaze towards the image in front of her. It was an image through space and time, produced by Kaiosama, showing the progress of the Z Soldiers. Bulma didn't like what she saw. 

Scattered around the edges of the massive crater, she could see the limp bodies of Kuririn, Juuhachi Gou, Yamcha, Piccolo, and - _Oh god, Vegeta!! _ She felt stupid for being surprised, she shouldn't have been, knowing her husband was fighting alongside them. Bulma squeezed her eyes shut, letting the collected tears in her eyes run down her face. 

Seeing her husband in such a helpless state, knowing he was hurt also hurt her. But Bulma was crying for Gohan. The amount of pain he was taking in hurt her to even watch. She cried because she knew he wasn't just taking the abuse for her, for Vegeta - hell, for everyone on the planet!

Bulma wiped her nose with the back of her hand, and looked at it with disgust. _Clean out of tissues. _She looked toward her left, seeing Chichi with a heavy blanket over her shoulders, her arms wrapped around her body for warmth. _She used them all up._ Bulma's heart went out to Chichi. The poor woman had cried herself to sleep. She suffered so much, it was time for her pain to stop. Her gaze was taken back to the time/space window, watching Gohan continue to fight for the lives of everyone on the planet, and his own. 

Bulma's mouth dropped open in shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Gohan had somehow turned the tables and the Firebird now felt the wrath of the Saiyan. Chichi would be proud. 

***

"Graah!!" Gohan screamed, just before the Firebird could lay another finger on his broken body. An invisible force threw the Firebird a few feet back, and he was just able to catch his balance. A bright yellow, almost golden aura surrounded Gohan's body. His golden hair now stood on end, indicating that he'd reached the third level of the super Saiyan power. Electricity sizzled in the air surrounding him. 

"Ha," the Firebird mocked, "level three super Saiyan!" He wiped away a trail of blood coming from his lip. "Let's see if that compares to the power of the Devotee."

The Firebird put both palms forward, gathering energy in between them. A massive energy force field shielded the entire front of his body, and was quickly powering up. It grew taller than a two story building, and about half the width of a football field. Gohan's eyes widened in shock, upon realizing the huge force field was going to be shot at him!

By the time the realization hit, the cosmic beam was already on its way, it's heat burning his skin before the beam actually hit. Gohan reflexively erected a weak force field with his ki, not having enough time to power it up. The shield actually held, despite the Firebird's power, but Gohan knew it wouldn't hold for long. He forced more ki into the shield. It was an uphill battle for Gohan but despite that fact, he began gathering strength steadily pushing the Firebird back bit by bit. 


	17. Chapter 14: The Final Battle Part 2

"Oh god…," Dende collapsed, upon feeling the physical pain Gohan endured. He suffered a broken arm, cracked ribs, a sprained ankle and shoulder, but somehow found the strength to carry on. Dende wished he could've been alongside Gohan, to heal his body for the fight. He knew the Firebird was weakening, but Gohan was also rapidly running out of strength to carry on. 

Dende felt a warm, protective hand place upon his shoulder. He turned around and looked up to see Kaiosama looking down at him. 

"I understand how you want to help," Kaiosama said. 

"There's so much I can do for Gohan right now," Dende replied. "If we call him back, I can heal him and he can get back into battle. He can defeat the Firebird, I know he can!"

"I have a better idea," a third familiar voice said from behind them. Dende and Kaiosama turned around and much to their surprise, there stood Goku. "If we take Gohan away from battle right now, it'll give the Firebird a chance to re-cooperate, even grow stronger. We can't take that chance."

"Goku you shouldn't be here!" Kaiosama exclaimed. "This is the physical realm -"

"I can't do anything physical in this realm," Goku said, cutting him off. "But I can still help."

"What do you propose we do?" Dende asked. 

***

Piccolo awoke to a heavy head. He opened his eyes slowly, seeing a blur of colors. The world felt like it was spinning faster than it should. Whatever contents he had in his stomach threatened to come up. He closed his eyes, and waiting patiently for the feeling to subside. When he opened them again, his eyes focused properly. Somewhere far off into the distance, he could see a collision of lights. The shock waves from the battle made their way over to where he lay and Piccolo gasped, unable to comprehend the power struggle that must've been taking place while he was unconscious. 

When he tried moving, he became aware for the first time that there was sharp, jagged rocks wedged uncomfortable into his skin. Piccolo sat up and brushed them off, leaving little indents in his green Namek skin. 

He scanned the surrounding area, instantly becoming interested in what he saw. Piccolo found himself lying on a small, rocky ledge lodged into the side walls of a massive crater. And then, he saw Vegeta and the others, just as unconscious as he was, also on their own pieces of rock, scattered around the craters edge. They were battered and bleeding. There was no way to tell if they were dead or not. _How was it that I regained consciousness? _Piccolo stretched his back and arms, allowing his muscles to move again. _I feel perfectly fine. But judging by the condition the others are in, I should be just as badly hurt as they are but -_

Something moved to his right. Out of reaction rather than intent, Piccolo shot an arm out and seized whatever it was nearby. It could've posed a threat to him. 

"Aah!!" screamed the voice of a child. Piccolo took a second look and instantly recognized the child. He stood with one hand protectively in front of his face while the other grabbed helplessly at Piccolo's hand, which held his neck. 

"Dende," Piccolo said out of relief as he released the boy. "What are you doing here? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is?!" 

"I need to be here," Dende replied, straightening his white robe. "We have a plan and we know it'll work."

"A plan? With an enemy that powerful, we need to fire power, not a plan!"

"Goku thought of it," Dende said, instantly silencing Piccolo. 

"Goku?" the Namek warrior asked. "How did he…?"

"It'll all be explained in time. But right now, I have to help the other Z Soldiers. We don't have much time left."

***

Gohan's face absorbed the blows from the Firebird's fist again and again. Gohan thought he felt something shift in his nose and before he knew it, blood came flowing from his nose, like water from a tap. The Firebird's eyes glowed for a moment, and a huge flame burst at Gohans feet and disappeared as quickly as it had come. 

"Ah!" Gohan screamed, as he felt the heat pierce his skin, attempting to boil it. 

The Firebird drove his knee into Gohan's gut and smashed his elbow into the back of his neck. Gohan hit the ground with such force, cracks began to spread out from the impact site. _I'm getting real sick of being smashed into this damn ground… _he thought unpleasantly. 

"If only you'd treated me with a little more respect," the Firebird said, "I wouldn't be seeking revenge."

_How did he know what I was thinking? _Gohan wondered. Then he remembered the Firebird had said something about gaining the ability to read people's minds. It must've been one of the potential powers Goken possessed. Then another thought hit. _But the way the Firebird was talking … it sounded more like Goken's thoughts than the Firebird's. I shouldn't be surprised, they did merge after all… _

Gohan's idea was confirmed when the Firebird's lower lip started to tremble, and his eyes began to shine with moisture.

"Do you think I enjoy doing this?" Goken's voice came out. "All this pain, all this suffering. So much death."

"Shut up," Gohan said. "This is all your fault, so don't even try to act guilty now. You allowed all of this to happen, Goken."

"Idiot, you know nothing! All caught up in your goddamn righteous ways, you're too stupid to even notice what's going on here." Goken wiped a hand across his face and licked the salty tears away from his bleeding lips. "Two minds are merging into one. If you knew jack shit about me, you'd know I wouldn't kill for pleasure. You actually think I enjoy murdering people by the millions?"

Gohan remained silent. He didn't feel as if there was anything he could say. In fact, he felt more inclined to listen to his enemy. Perhaps there was something useful to be revealed. 

"Well if you do, then you're wrong. That's the Firebird at work there. And each time a life is taken it's me who suffers the guilt." Goken choked back a few tears, threatening to burst forth, but he wouldn't degrade himself to such a mess in front of his enemy. "I made a mistake by agreeing to the merge. He promised me that I'd get my revenge - but then all of this happens. And I realize vengeance is not worth all this death. And who made me want to let the Firebird into me in the first place. It was you!!" 

Goken dropped to his knees, and cried. There was little else he wanted to do now than just cry. Ever since the Firebird first entered, he hadn't even shed a tear. He'd been too busy fighting it's presence, and then finding out he'd been betrayed by his friends, and now he had to face his brother telling him that all the death and destruction was his fault. All that suffering and not even one tear shed. Now was the time. He couldn't hold it back any longer. "So if you think this is my fault…," he said in between sobs, "you're wrong."

After a long pause, Gohan finally mustered up the courage to speak. "Goken, I… I don't know what to say. You know my intentions for you were good."

_WHAM!!_

The Firebird dug his elbow into Gohan's gut, using his other fist and smashed it into Gohan's face. "Enough of this emotional nonsense," he said. "The boy has a point. You were the one who brought him to me, and now you have to deal with the consequences. The Firebird gathered all his energy into one massive fireball, anxious to kill Gohan and continue on his plan to conquer the universe and the heavens. 

The sheer power surrounding the fireball heated the air around it, forming a strong gust of wind around the Firebird and Gohan. It didn't take long for the ball to grow to an immense size. Behind his back, Gohan also powered his own fireball, charged up from his blue ki. 

The Firebird took a deep breath, using whatever power left in his arms, threw the energy ball forward at Gohan. The Saiyan boy retaliated with his own energy beam. The force of the collision sent more dust and debris flying in all directions like leaves in a gust. Both sides refused to back down, pushing against each other's forces until one of them weakened - not knowing when that would be.

***

Juuhachi Gou started at her husband Kuririn standing across from her. At the distance they were at, he was a mere speck somewhere near the horizon. She could see intense concentration in his dark eyes. She decided meditation would be a good choice for her. She swept a lock of blond hair from the side of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Looking towards her left, Yamcha was standing a few hundred feet away looking just as concentrated. To her right, at a similar distance, Piccolo stood concentrating.

The five of them including Vegeta had circled Gohan and the Firebird without their knowledge. They were know healed fully and ready for battle. Dende had successfully healed all of the Z Soldiers, so they could help Gohan in the struggle against the Firebird. He had returned to Kamisama's palace to rest. 

It was a simple plan apparently devised by Goku - heal the injured Z Soldiers and have them aid Gohan. But the way the Firebird slaughtered them before, it was hard to tell how they'd match up against the Firebird with or without Gohan on their side. Dende assured them it would work, but everyone could sense the unease in his voice. The trick right now was keeping the Firebird unaware of their presence. 

Without warning, a huge energy war began high above their heads. Gohan and the Firebird had collided. The magnitude of their clashing energy suggested that each warrior was giving it their all. This was definitely the final power struggle, one that the Z Soldiers hoped to win. This was the signal they were waiting for. 

***

Dende lay panting on a mattress in his room in Kamisama's palace. His last healing expedition had taken a toll on the young Namek boy. Bulma wiped away the sweat from his forehead with a cool, damp cloth. 

"You did well," she said. "Now the only thing we can do is sit here and wait."

"Uh huh," Kaiosama agreed, nodding his fat blue chin. "But I'm very insecure with the success rate of this plan. It's too hard to tell right now if the Firebird as inherited too much of Goken's power for us to even stand a chance against."

"Well this is the best shot we have right now," Goku said. "If this doesn't work, it's too late for all of us."

As soon as Goku said those words, he could see some of the hope disappear in everyone's eyes. Bulma took her gaze off him and continued tending to Dende, who looked away himself. Goku look down at Chichi, holding her head in his hands. He stroked her face with his fingers, tucking wisps of hair away. 

"I'm so sorry I couldn't be there with you all this time," he said. "But I'm here know. And whatever happens, we'll live through this together."

Chichi was fast asleep, but for the first time in ages, the corners of her mouth lifted up and formed a gentle smile. She nuzzled against Goku's hands with a look of serenity on her face and mumbled, "Goku, I've missed you. I love you so much…"

Goku bent down and whispered into Chichi's ear, "I love you, too."

"Alright everyone, here we go," Kaiosama said, shattering the romantic atmosphere. He waved his hand in the air and a time/space window appeared, allowing them to keep track of what was happening with the Z Soldiers. "Keep your fingers crossed," he said. "Goku, I hope your plan works." 


	18. Chapter 15: Death of the Firebird

His head rushing, his stomach in his chest, Goku placed a firm hand on Kaiosama's back, attempting to communicate with the Z Soldiers down on earth. _Come on people, I know we can do this. _He found himself silently talking to them, even though he knew they couldn't hear. _I'm sorry Goken, but you've chosen this path. And that leaves me with no choice other than this. _Goku pushed the secondary thoughts out of his mind, preparing for contact with the other Z Soldiers. They would take this one step at a time with him in the lead. 

***

The message was clear. Not audible, but telepathic instead. The Z Soldiers listened not with their ears, but with their minds. They stood on the ground in a circle formation, surrounding the battle between Gohan and the Firebird, hundreds of feet above. A gust picked up, throwing choking clouds of dust at them, as if a higher force was attempting to thwart their efforts. But the Z Soldiers remained locked in concentration. 

_Okay everyone, _said the distant voice of Goku, _power up your ki. _One by one - Piccolo, Yamcha, Vegeta, Juuhachi Gou and Kuririn - placed their palms in front of themselves at waist level. There was a moment of calm, complete concentration. But then, a small flicker of light appeared between each of their hands, a light that grew steadily and the seconds ticked by. 

Each of the Z Soldiers developed a visible aura that emanated from their bodies. The aura glowed blue, wrapping their bodies in it's warmth, powered by the concentration of ki in their hands. 

_We need more, _Goku said, _Concentrate the ki into a single point. We're going to use it to destroy the Firebird. _

***

Gohan started at his arm, panting as if there weren't enough air for him to breathe. He had stayed in focus for so long, shooting a massive, continuous energy beam at the Firebird with one good arm, and one broken arm. It surprised him that he hadn't given out yet, reaching the conclusion that he must've been running on pure adrenaline. 

The thought lasted only a second, making way for the burning sensation in his arms. He'd been holding them up in front of himself for so long, Gohan swore they were about to break off by themselves. He cringed, enduring the suferring from the tiredness of his good arm, the pain of his broken arm, and his rapidly depleting source of ki. _Can't give up … don't lose it, Gohan the entire world is depending on you._

At first, Gohan thought he must've been telling himself that to keep him going. But he thought something was out of place when the words repeated themselves again in his mind. 

__

I know you can do this. Don't give up. The others are with you…

"Dad?" Gohan found himself saying out loud. But there was no physical response, only an invisible force wedged in his mind, not allowing him to give up. He mentally shrugged. _I got the support, I got the ability, so let's do this! I'm not giving up!!_

***

"Dad, I made a mistake and I know it," Goken said apologetically. Whatever was left on his consciousness communicated with Goku through Kaiosama. "So now, I'm some kind of … monster."

"People make lots of mistakes in their lives," Goku said in a steady, but gentle fatherly tone. "And that's okay. But people also get punished for their mistakes. And they need to accept responsibility and accept their punishment with their heads held high." 

Goken nodded. "I know what I deserve and I -"

"Don't think about what you deserve now," Goku said, cutting him off. "That's not important right now. It's not too late to help us. We can't bring the people who've died because of the Firebird back to life, but we can help prevent any more deaths."

"How?"

"Help us, Goken. Help us destroy the Firebird. Do everything in your power to restrain him. You may not be able to complete make up for your mistake. But this is a good start." 

***

Behind this own protective beam of ki, the Firebird was safe from Gohan's attack for the time being. But something tingled at the back of the Firebird's mind. He couldn't quite figure out what it was, like the vibrations of some kind of energy. It felt almost muffled as if someone was secretly having a conversation with the intention of keeping it unnoticed from him. Then it clicked - Telepathy. 

"What's going on in that tiny head of yours Gohan?" the Firebird asked, also through telepathy. "You trying to keep a secret from me?" There was no response. Apparently the Saiyan boy had tuned him out. The Firebird shook his head to loosen in his concentration. It didn't matter. They would all die within the next hour anyway. The Firebird had the power to continue this fireball warfare for a long time, and he knew Gohan didn't. _Let's see how long he can keep up this pathetic attempt -_

Out of nowhere, the Firebird's entire body erupted with a massive wave of excruciating pain. The heat was so intense, it caught him completely by surprise. "Argh!!" he screamed as his muscles tensed, his fingers curled, and his skin began to peel away slowly. 

He could see himself surrounded in some kind of a blue light. He looked below him to see the Z Soldiers he thought he'd defeated, all gathered in a circle with their hands held high in the air. Each one of them wore an expression of vented frustration and anger. _This ki… It's from them!! Those bastards!! Oh shit -_

Another wave of realization hit him when the Firebird noticed he'd taken his attention off Gohan, who's energy beam now collided with his body, killing him some more. The Firebird couldn't believe what was happening to him. The Z Soldiers had secretly recuperated and were now aiding the Saiyan boy. He'd underestimated them all. A mistake that could cost him his life. 

But the Firebird refused to give up. There was still a lot of the Devotee's power left to destroy the Z Soldiers, the Saiyan boy, and the whole blasted planet. It didn't matter what happened to him physically, he knew he'd heal. But the Firebird's top priority was killing all who opposed him while he still could, otherwise, he'd be dead in a few seconds. He tapped into whatever potential ki he had stored inside of him and prepared to bring it out and combat the Z Soldier's ki with it. 

But something resisted. A part of the Firebird's mind - or rather, a part of Goken's mind that hadn't fully merged with his stopped him. "What are you doing you blasted child? Can't you see I'm trying not to get us killed."

"I'd rather die here and now than continue living as a part of your … twisted mind," Goken replied. 

_You little fucking - _

And that was the last thought that the Firebird's mind conceived before it was ripped into shreds and vaporized in the massive concentration of ki, along with his body - the body he took from Goken. The body of a little boy that was the son of Goku and Chichi and the younger brother of Gohan. 


	19. Epilogue: The Passing and a Newborn

There'd been a feeling of emptiness. _Gohan… _Cold, dark and lonely. Gohan clenched and unclenched his fist, grabbing at what felt like gravel - then he realized he was lying down. The ground was cold and jagged, puncturing small dents into his skin. _Gohan… _A shiver made it's way up his spine, jerking his consciousness back to reality. 

Upon opening his eyes, he realized the darkness and the cold hadn't been a figment of his imagination. What he saw felt almost surreal. The fog surrounding him was thick, covering anything outside a seven foot radius. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, taking in his mysterious surroundings. _Gohan…_

It finally registered, that voice calling him. Gohan tensed his body and quickly stood up, scanning every direction for any sign of danger. But all he could see was the blinding fog. _Don't worry, you're not in any danger. _There was that voice again. 

"Who are you?" he asked, unsure of which direction to look to when speaking. 

A small dark patch appeared in the fog about ten meters away… perhaps seven, it was hard to tell. The patch gradually began to take the form of a human figure as in continued to speak. "I just came to thank you," the voice said. It got closer and Gohan was able to make out the clothing. The form was male, wearing a gold, sleeveless karate gi with a navy blue T-shirt underneath. Dressed similarly to Goku, but smaller in size. 

__

These mist covered mountains 

Are a home now for me 

But my home is the lowlands 

And always will be 

"Never mind that, Goken" Gohan said. "Are you alright?" His voice was filled with concern. Although Goken looked alright, he knew it was only a matter of time before the Firebird would come through - "

"I'm dead, Gohan," Goken replied. "I guess the answer to that question would depend on what perspective you're looking at the situation from." A smirk crept across Goken's face. Gohan didn't know why, because while it was strange to see Goken smile for the first time in years, he was happy to see it. His expression was weak with exhaustion, but it also hinted at happiness and most of all, relief. 

"Haha, yeah," Gohan chuckled. There was an awkward moment of silence, as he processed the information. The Firebird was dead, and so was Goken. Oddly, he didn't feel any remorse and judging from Goken's behavior, he didn't seem too upset either. 

"Anyway," Goken said, breaking the silence, "I just wanted to say thanks."

"For what?" Gohan asked. "For killing you? I mean…"

"No, for killing the Firebird. It was hell being a part of that demon, but it's taught me a thing or two. Sometimes, revenge isn't worth it. And the best way to solve my problem was to show you my point of view, from what I was going through during your training. I mean I'm not Saiyan and -"

"I know all about that," Gohan interrupted. "Kamisama told us. And for what it's worth … I'm sorry." 

"Yeah." Goken looked down at the ground and scraped the it with his foot. 

"So I guess this means I have to break the news to everyone," Gohan said regretfully. "Not that they don't already know you're dead. It's pretty much a given, especially if the Firebird's dead. Well, on the bright side, at least you get to meet Dad."

__

Through these fields of destruction 

Baptism of fire 

I've watched all your suffering 

As the battles raged higher 

And though they did hurt me so bad 

In the fear and alarm 

You did not desert me 

My brothers in arms

"He already has." A third voice spoke loudly and clearly. It's firm but gentle tone bore a sense of authority and paternal love, which could only mean it was … 

"Dad…" Gohan's eyes began to water. "Is it really… really you?" Goku's form appeared beside Goken. Gohan couldn't control himself. It had been too long since he last seen his father, and there he was, standing just a few feet away. Gohan wrapped his arms around his father's waist and shoulders tightly. 

Goken always thought of his brother as big and strong and nothing in the world could even scratch Gohan. But after seeing him beside their father, it clicked that Gohan was only around fifteen years old and Goku was so much bigger, practically dwarfing Gohan. And then it clicked. Goken felt foolish for actually _realizing _it now, but Gohan was only a boy, a boy who looked up to his dad just as much as he looked up to his older brother - _Look up to my brother? Have I ever seen Gohan as a father figure…? _Goken was confused, he didn't know the answer to that. 

Goku pulled Gohan gently away, holding him by the shoulders, looking straight into his eyes. "You've done an amazing job without me," he said. "An amazing job in school, in taking care of your mom and your brother. And I need you to be strong and keep this up. Only this time, Goken won't be with you."

Gohan wiped the back of his hand against his nose. "I know," he said, "but he'll be safe in the afterlife right?"

"I'm not staying here in the afterlife either," Goken interrupted. 

"What?" Gohan asked, "Then where are you going?"

"I've been given a second chance at life," Goken began. "In the afterlife, the gods have separated my soul from the Firebird's soul. He's in the underworld right now, paying for his crimes. They've determined that my course in this life was unfair, and they want to give me a second chance. They said it's up to me whether or not I want to take it."

"That's terrific! So that means you'll be coming back to stay with us, right?" Gohan couldn't believe it. All along he believed that by destroying the Firebird, he'd have to destroy his brother as well. It was a fact that always made him think twice about doing it. But here Goken was, being given a second chance at life!

"That's not quite the case," Goku explained, seeing a shocked expression unfold on Gohan's face. 

"What do you mean?" he asked. 

"I'm given a second chance at life," Goken repeated, "I'll be living in a different world, a different dimension, and I'll have a different name. It's a completely different life and identity for me."

__

There's so many different worlds 

So many different suns 

And we have just one world 

But we live in different ones

"Oh … I see…"

"They told me the decision is entirely up to me, so I don't think I'll be taking it." Goken said.

"What?! Why not?" Gohan asked. 

"Because that means all my memories of this life will be replaced. Mom, you and Dad mean so much to me, I can't imagine not even remembering you. I just … I can't do it!"

"That is a foolish reason," Goku said. "Do you think that's what we really want? For you to throw away a second chance at life?"

"I don't know. I just don't want to forget."

"You'll have new memories," Gohan said, trying to encourage Goken. "You'll have a much better life with a new family, new friends. How could you say no to that?"

Goken's lip began trembling and tears welled up in his eyes. "Because I'm gonna miss you guys…"

Gohan sniffed, and choked back more tears. He gave Goken a hug and said, "Listen to me. You're going to be alright. And if you're ever scared, lonely or afraid, remember that me, Mom and Dad will always be with you."

"I don't understand. How?"

Gohan took Goken's wrist and placed it on his own chest. "Because blood is thicker than water."

__

Now the sun's gone to hell 

And the moon's riding high 

Let me bid you farewell 

Every man has to die 

Neither of them could control the tears any more. The two brothers stood there in embrace, each one crying their own river of tears, holding on to each other as if their lives depended on it. Goken hadn't always liked Gohan, but he realized in the end, that despite Gohan's torturous training, Goken's thirst for revenge and the Firebird's attempt to destroy their family, the two of them had been through too much for Goken to want to leave now. His mother was probably on earth, crying herself to sleep and he wanted to comfort her so much. And Goku; Goken had only just met his father and already he had to say goodbye.

Goken knew his family would be there to support each other and that they were encouraging him to take up the offer on life, but he just wasn't ready yet. "I promise…," Goken tried to say in between sobs, "I promise in my next life, I'll make up for everything bad I've done in this life." Gohan was crying to hard to say anything. His face wet and red. All he could do was nod. "And in the end, when I'm done," Goken continued, "I'll come back here and see everyone again. I… I promise!"

__

Some day you'll return to 

Your valleys and your farms 

And you'll no longer burn 

To be brothers in arms 

"All isn't lost, Gohan," Goku said. "Life moves on and eventually, we have to learn to let go."

"I know," Gohan replied, releasing Goken. "But this isn't going to be easy."

"No," Goku said, "but here's something to make it a little easier." A third form slowly materialized beside Goku. It was a mere child, barely reaching to his knee. The toddler had hair similar to Goku's and big bright eyes that started adoringly at Gohan. 

Goku picked up the child in his arms and rocked it back and forth. "I believe your mother is expecting this child," Goku said. "Here." He slowly passed the child carefully to Gohan. It wrapped it's arms around his neck and made small gurgles. Gohan gently swayed back and forth running his hand along the child's back as it's eyes slowly closed. "It's your new baby brother. I think your mother will like the name. Goken thought of it."

"It's Goten," Goken said. "Tell Mom she can keep the name if she wants."

"Goten," Gohan said to himself. "Thanks Goken, I think I like it."

__

"It's time for us to go," Goku said, putting a protective hand on Goken's shoulder. "Take care of Goten. And don't worry about Goken. He'll be fine, I'll make sure of it."

"Perhaps one day, if you come back," Gohan began. 

"_When_ I come back," Goken corrected.

"Yeah, when you come back, you'll be able to meet Goten."

"I don't know how, but I promise I'll make it back here. I may not have my memories of this life, but I know …" 

__

The fog became thicker, until it turned into a blinding white light engulfing Goku and Goken, leaving Gohan alone with little Goten in his arms. The light felt warm, comforting him from the sadness of his departing father and brother. _"… Blood is thicker than water." _

***

Gohan awoke in a hospital bed, for the second time in two weeks, surrounded by worried faces. Piccolo, Vegeta, Bulma, Juuhachi Gou, Kuririn, Yamcha, Trunks and Chichi were all standing there with relieved looks on their faces. 

Chichi brought a hand up and covered her mouth and then hugged her son. "Thank god you're alright," she said. "The doctors had no idea when you'd come out of your coma. You just began moving a few minutes ago so everyone came in to see how you were doing."

"I'm doing fine," Gohan replied, and then he noticed his mother was in a hospital gown too. "Oh my god, Mom are you alright? What happened to you? What are you in here for?" 

Bulma put a cool, reassuring hand on Gohan's shoulder and explained gently. "It's okay honey, your mother just gave birth to a new baby. He's in the nursery right now." Gohan looked at Chichi. 

"Is that true?" he asked, his heart suddenly began racing.

"Yes it's true," Chichi said smiling. "It's not Goken, but … but I've learned to let him go. I know he's in a much better place and I know your father will watch over him."

Gohan smiled. "Yeah he's definitely in a much better place. No matter how he looks like, no matter what his name is, Goken will always be one of us." Chichi smiled and nodded in deep agreement.

"And you know what I'm going to call the baby?" she asked changing the subject.

Gohan smiled back, ignoring the tears of joy that rolled down the corners of his eyes. "Goten," he replied.

Chichi gasped. "How do you know?" she asked, putting her hand to her mouth."

"Goken told me," he replied. And then they hugged and started to cry.

__

But it's written in the starlight 

And every line on your palm 

We're fools to make war 

On our brothers in arms 

****

THE END

****

Poetic lyrics from the song "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits


End file.
